Intraoperative Progress Reports Decrease Family Members' Anxiety

Abstract

The researcher used a four-group quasi-experimental posttest design to examine the effect of intraoperative progress reports on 200 family members' anxiety. Group one (ie, control group) received standard perioperative care, which did not include intraoperative progress reports. Group two received in-person progress reports from perioperative nurses. Group three received an "attention" protocol (ie, checklist explaining hospital routines, waiting room procedures). Group four received progress reports delivered by telephone. The researcher compared family members' state anxiety scores, mean arterial pressures (MAPs), and heart rates measured halfway during their relatives' surgical procedures, measuring these dependent variables after providing the interventions. The in-person intraoperative progress report group reported lower state anxiety scores (P < .001) and had significantly lower MAPs and heart rates (P < .05) than the other three groups. In-person progress reports appear to be the most beneficial perioperative nursing intervention for reducing family members' anxiety during the intraoperative waiting period.