Herbals and Dietary Supplemets: Evaluation of Perioperative Nursing Forms
Graduation Date
2003
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Document Form
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Nursing
Department or Program Chair
Barbara Ganley, PhD
Thesis Advisor
Luanne Linnard-Palmer, EdD, RN
Abstract
This descriptive nursing study investigates the current clinical opportunities for perioperative nurses to document the surgical patient’s preoperative use of herbals and dietary supplements. It is reported that 63-72% of regular users of dietary supplements do not discuss their therapy with physicians. There are more than 28 million surgical procedures performed in the United States annually. This indicates a significant number of patients that may not be disclosing their use of herbals and dietary supplements preoperatively. Possible interactions with anesthetics and inhibitory coagulation effects of these products are clinically relevant. The perioperative nurses’ assessment and documentation of the patient’s use of herbals and dietary supplements, along with communicating to operating room team members, advocate for safe surgical outcomes.