Lesson 1Anxiety assessment and nonpharmacologic interventions: communication techniques, teaching, relaxation, breathing exercises, use of anxiolyticsCovers proper anxiety checks, good talking with patients, teaching them, relaxation and breathing methods, changing the environment, and knowing when to use medicine for anxiety while keeping safety and patient involvement.
Validated anxiety screening toolsBuilding rapport and active listeningPreoperative education and expectationsGuided imagery and relaxation methodsBreathing exercises and coping plansLesson 2Infection prevention and skin prep: chlorhexidine bathing, hair removal policies, antibiotic prophylaxis timing and documentationCovers ways to prevent infections like chlorhexidine baths, hair removal rules, timing and choice of antibiotics before surgery, and record-keeping to cut down surgical site infections.
Preoperative chlorhexidine bathingHair removal methods and timingAntibiotic choice and timingMRSA screening and decolonizationDocumentation of prophylaxis stepsLesson 3Pre-transfer safety checks: ID band, verbal identity confirmation, surgical site marking, consent, allergy check, checklist reconciliationDetails standard safety checks before moving patient, including checking ID, confirming consent, marking surgery site, reviewing allergies, and matching checklists to avoid wrong patient, wrong site, or record mistakes.
Two-identifier patient verificationConsent presence and completenessSurgical site marking standardsAllergy and alert band reviewFinal pre-transfer checklist useLesson 4Preoperative laboratory and diagnostic review: glucose, HbA1c, electrolytes, renal function, coagulation, ECG and chest imaging indicationsOutlines right choice and timing for preop tests like glucose, HbA1c, electrolytes, kidney function, clotting tests, ECG, and chest scans, based on patient risks and surgery type.
Indications for serum glucose and HbA1cElectrolytes and renal function panelsCoagulation studies and bleeding riskPreoperative ECG indicationsChest imaging criteria and yieldLesson 5Comprehensive preoperative nursing assessment: vital signs, medication reconciliation, fasting status, functional status, allergies, advanced directivesDescribes structured nursing check covering vital signs, matching medications, fasting state, daily function and mind baseline, allergies, and advance care plans to guide surgery planning and handovers.
Baseline vital signs and pain levelMedication reconciliation processVerifying fasting and last intakeFunctional and cognitive assessmentAllergies and advance directivesLesson 6Pre-anesthesia evaluation: airway assessment (Mallampati, neck mobility), anesthesia risk stratification, ASA classificationLooks at systematic pre-anesthesia checks, including airway tools, ASA class, health issues review, daily capacity, and risk levels to plan anesthesia and monitoring.
Focused pre-anesthesia historyAirway exam and Mallampati scoringNeck mobility and dentition assessmentASA physical status classificationFunctional capacity and risk indicesLesson 7Informed consent verification and legal documentation: elements of consent, capacity checks, interpreter needsMakes clear key parts of informed consent, checking decision ability, record standards, using interpreters, and verification to follow ethics and law before surgery.
Required elements of consentAssessing capacity and voluntarinessRole of surrogate decision makersUse of interpreters and language accessDocumentation and form reviewLesson 8Fasting and carbohydrate-loading protocols: NPO timing, clear fluid rules, preop carbohydrate drink indicationsExplains evidence-based fasting times for solids and clear liquids, when to use preop carb drinks, and ways to lower aspiration risk while easing discomfort and sugar issues.
Standard NPO timing for solidsClear fluid rules and exceptionsCarbohydrate drink indicationsContraindications to carb loadingPatient instructions and adherenceLesson 9Specific assessments for comorbidities: diabetes history, insulin regimen, blood pressure control, cardiovascular risk assessmentFocuses on checks for main health issues like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, to fine-tune surgery risks, guide med changes, and plan monitoring and aftercare.
Detailed diabetes and insulin historyBlood pressure trends and controlCardiovascular risk scoring toolsPulmonary and sleep apnea screeningRenal and hepatic function reviewLesson 10Preoperative medication management: metformin, insulin glargine, ACE inhibitors and perioperative adjustment algorithmsReviews surgery-time changes for metformin, long-acting insulin, ACE inhibitors, stressing timing, dose tweaks, avoiding low sugar, and clear guides for safe med handling before surgery.
Risk of metformin and lactic acidosisAdjusting long-acting and basal insulinsManaging ACE inhibitors and ARBsDay-of-surgery medication holding rulesSample perioperative dosing algorithms
