Nurse anaesthetists’ experiences with pre-operative anxiety
Intended for healthcare professionals
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Nurse anaesthetists’ experiences with pre-operative anxiety

Ingalill Gimbler Berglund Lecturer, Department of nursing science, Jönköping University, Sweden
Elisabeth Ericsson Senior lecturer, Division of nursing science, Department of medical and health sciences, Linköping University, Sweden
Marie Proczkowska-Björklund Consultant and senior lecturer, Division of child and adolescent psychiatry, department of clinical and experimental medicine, Linköping University, psychiatric department, Höglandssjukhuset Eksjö/Nässjö, Sweden
Bengt Fridlund Professor of nursing, Department of nursing science, Jönköping University, Sweden

Swedish researchers analysed nurses’ experiences of administering and caring for children needing anaesthetic before surgery and the ramifications for practice

Aims To explore nurse anaesthetists’ experiences and actions when administering and caring for children requiring anaesthesia.

Method A qualitative design employing critical incident technique was used. Interviews were carried out with a purposeful sample of nurse anaesthetists (n=32). The nurse anaesthetists’ experiences were grouped into two main areas: organisation focused and interrelational focused. Actions were grouped into two main areas: optimising the situation and creating interpersonal interaction.

Findings The categories and subcategories of the nurses’ experiences appeared to influence the outcome for the child. The nurse anaesthetists’ first priority was to create an optimal environment and increase sensitivity in their interactions with the child.

Conclusion Sensitivity to the child and flexibility in altering actions are key strategies to avoid physical restraint.

Nursing Children and Young People. 25, 1, 28-34. doi: 10.7748/ncyp2013.02.25.1.28.s9537

Peer review

This article has been subject to open peer review

Conflict of interest

This study was supported by grants from the County Council of Jönköping

Received: 23 March 2012

Accepted: 11 July 2012

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