A Multidisciplinary Preoperative Teaching Session for Women Awaiting Breast Cancer Surgery: A Quality Improvement Initiative

Purpose:

Most of the breast cancer diagnoses are recommended for breast surgery. Unfortunately, many patients report preoperative anxiety, which can affect postoperative recovery. Preoperative teaching sessions have been shown to reduce anxiety and improve recovery for the patients with breast cancer. To better support the patients at our cancer center, a multidisciplinary preoperative teaching session was developed and delivered as a quality improvement initiative.

Methods:

Participants scheduled for breast surgery were invited to attend a group-delivered preoperative teaching session, either for breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy. The sessions were presented by a nurse, occupational therapist, and physiotherapist. Data were collected through a researcher-developed 2-item questionnaire administered before and after sessions to compare self-reported anxiety and knowledge levels, along with qualitative feedback.

Results:

A total of 94 participants attended the preoperative sessions, piloted over a year. The majority were scheduled for breast-conserving surgery. Wilcoxon signed rank tests showed that after session, self-reported levels of anxiety decreased, whereas levels of knowledge increased. Most participants found the session to be very helpful and would recommend it to other patients/families awaiting surgery.

Conclusions:

Patients awaiting surgery for breast cancer may be better supported through a multidisciplinary group teaching session by decreasing anxiety and improving knowledge related to the procedure. Future directions could explore the effect of specific session elements on anxiety, knowledge, and postoperative complications using psychometrically sound instruments and additional time points.

Implications for cancer survivors:

Standardization of these preoperative teaching sessions may enhance breast cancer care, reduce postoperative complications, and improve patient recovery.

Strength based nursing: caring for the whole person

Strengths-Based Nursing (SBN) is an integrated value-driven approach based on a philosophy of care to guide actions. It consists of eight values which guide nursing practice to promote care of the whole person and family.  SBN promotes empowerment, collaborative partnership, innate health and healing, authentic relationships while focusing on enhancing and developing strengths to cope with challenges and minimize, contain or circumvent that which is not working.Our poster will illustrate the basics of SBN and how it can be utilized in the promotion of whole person care.Conclusion: SBN has enlarged our perspective, broadened our skilled-know how, and opened us to new ways of caring for persons and families dealing with cancer. It has also given us insights into our nursing practices and illustrates the importance these eight values have in supporting development of whole person care.