Taking stock of "those things" in thoracic surgery nursing work

Thoracic surgery nursing is an important part of the thoracic surgery medical system. With the development of medical technology, the role of thoracic surgery nurses has become more and more diverse. They are no longer just taking care of the basic physiological needs of patients. They assist doctors in the operating room, help patients with postoperative rehabilitation, and play the role of educators, guiding patients and their families on how to correctly view and deal with their illnesses. So, what are the details and important contents worth paying attention to in thoracic surgery nursing? Let's take stock together.

1. Ventilator management

After thoracic surgery or in certain disease conditions, patients may need to rely on a ventilator to maintain their respiratory function. Thoracic surgery nurses need to understand the operation of the ventilator and monitor the patient's respiratory parameters, such as inspiratory pressure, expiratory pressure, and oxygen concentration. They also need to assist doctors in adjusting the ventilator settings in a timely manner to ensure that patients receive appropriate oxygen support.

2. Pipeline care

During thoracic surgery, patients may have chest drains installed to remove gas or fluid from the chest cavity. Nurses are responsible for ensuring the patency of these tubes and monitoring and recording the amount, color, and nature of the fluid discharged. They also need to replace chest tubes and drainage tubes regularly to prevent infection and other complications.

3. Pain management

After thoracic surgery, patients may experience chest pain or surgical wound pain. Nurses will assess the patient's pain level and give appropriate analgesics as needed. They will also provide other non-drug pain relief methods such as cold compresses, breathing exercises, and relaxation techniques.

4. Health education

Health education is also the core content of thoracic surgery nursing work. Nurses should respect patients, meet their various needs as much as possible, and provide humane nursing services. Health education work is mainly through educating patients and their families, helping them understand the nature of the disease, treatment methods, nursing measures, etc., to improve their self-care awareness and ability, so that patients can better cope with the disease.

5. Emergency response

Thoracic surgery nurses need to have the ability and skills to respond to emergencies. After surgery or during treatment, patients may experience respiratory distress, bleeding or other emergencies. Nurses need to respond quickly and take appropriate measures to ensure that the patient's vital signs and condition are stable.

6. Postoperative safety and prevention of complications

Thoracic surgery usually causes a certain degree of trauma to the patient's body, so postoperative safety and prevention of complications are very important. Thoracic surgery nurses need to closely observe the patient's vital signs, understand the wound healing situation, and promptly deal with postoperative complications such as dyspnea and wound infection. At the same time, nurses must also reasonably arrange the patient's activities and rehabilitation plans to help the patient recover as soon as possible.

7. Nutrition and Diet Management

Nutrition and diet management is an important part of thoracic surgery nursing work. Nurses need to follow the guidance of nutritionists to provide patients with scientific and reasonable diets to repair injured tissues and enhance body resistance. Thoracic surgery patients often lose their appetite due to postoperative pain and other reasons. Nurses need to encourage and guide patients to gradually take in nutrition to improve the recovery effect.

8. Psychological care

Thoracic surgery is a major physical and psychological challenge for patients. Thoracic surgery nurses will give patients emotional support and understanding, and help them actively cope with postoperative difficulties. Nurses will actively listen to patients' needs, provide psychological support to patients, and help them safely through the perioperative period.

9. Postoperative rehabilitation and functional training

Thoracic surgery nurses play a key role in the patient's rehabilitation process. They can help patients with postoperative rehabilitation and functional training. Nurses will monitor patients' mobility and lung function recovery, provide guidance and support according to patients' rehabilitation plans, teach patients correct breathing exercises and body position exercises, monitor patients' rehabilitation progress, and help patients return to normal living standards as soon as possible.

In addition to the above work, thoracic surgery nurses also need to comply with relevant hygiene and operating regulations, keep the operating room clean and sterile, and ensure the safety and health of patients.

Long-term work pressure and complex environment require thoracic surgery nurses to have good psychological endurance and interpersonal skills. They not only face patients, but also cooperate with multiple roles such as patients' families and doctors. This also requires nurses to have good communication skills, constantly improve their professional qualities, and provide patients with better quality nursing services.

In short, thoracic surgery nursing work is all-encompassing, and every link requires the careful attention and dedicated service of nurses. In daily life, people may not understand the complexity and challenges of thoracic surgery nursing work. Through the introduction of this article, I hope that everyone will have a deeper understanding of this field and be able to actively cooperate with the nursing work of thoracic surgery. We also look forward to the continuous introduction of new technologies and methods to provide more effective means for patient treatment and rehabilitation. (Li Yajing, Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University)