• To recognise the main principles of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS)
• To understand the role of ERAS in perioperative care
• To enhance your knowledge of the benefits of ERAS, including reducing the length of hospital stays and post-operative complications
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) programmes are an innovative approach to optimising patient outcomes in the perioperative period and have been implemented in various surgical departments across a range of specialties, with varying degrees of success. ERAS is an evidence-based, multimodal programme that has repeatedly demonstrated a reduction in post-operative complications and reduced the length of hospital stays following elective surgery. However, despite extensive evidence to support these benefits, several barriers to ERAS implementation have been identified. This article outlines the components of ERAS, focusing on the barriers to its implementation and how these could be overcome. It also discusses the implications of ERAS for patients, nurses and healthcare organisations.
Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2019.e11306
Peer reviewThis article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software
CorrespondenceAngie.Balfour@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
Conflict of interestNone declared
Balfour A (2019) Understanding the benefits and implications of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery. Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2019.e11306
Published online: 03 June 2019
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