title: Preoperative Stress: An Operating Room Nurse Intervention Assessment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this research study was to determine the effect of preoperative visits by the operating room (OR) nurse on patient stress levels before undergoing surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  This research was a quasi-experimental study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The research sample included patients (N = 179) who were hospitalized for surgery during 6 months in the general surgery department of a public hospital in the Eastern Black Sea Region. The OR nurse, part of the medical staff for surgery, visited patients in the experimental group 1 day before surgery. The OR nurse collected information that was consistent with the requirements of the patients. Patients in the control group were provided with preoperative care that was consistent with hospital procedure. Research data were collected using question forms, patient satisfaction scores, and Burford Distress Thermometer scale. Statistical evaluations included t tests and receiver operating characteristic analysis for independent groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most patients stated that they felt stressed because of the impending surgery. Patients made the following most common statements of the factors that caused stress; fear of unknown, anesthesia phobia, and fear of OR environment and complications that may occur during surgery. Patients in both groups experienced a significant decrease in postoperative stress levels. The perceived distress in the experimental group was significantly lower than the control group during the postoperative period. Patients in the experimental group reported that the OR nurse's visit effectively minimized their stress levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OR nurse visits to patients before surgery contributed to decreased preoperative stress levels.
authors.forename: Ayla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gürsoy
authors.forename: Bahar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Candaş
authors.forename: Şirin
authors.initials: Ş
authors.lastname: Güner
authors.forename: Serpil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yılmaz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D009873:Operating Rooms; D013527:Perioperative Nursing; D057234:Preoperative Period; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: care; distress; perioperative nursing; preoperative; surgical intervention