A patient tells the nurse that he must be having minor surgery since it will be done as an outpatient. How should the nurse respond to this patient?

Question

1. "Every surgical procedure is serious, and I will make sure you have information to have a successful recovery."
2. "You are right."
3. "If it were more serious, you would be admitted to the hospital."
4. "Your insurance plan does not cover inpatient surgical procedures. That's why your surgery is being done as an outpatient."

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 1

The complexity of the surgery and recovery and the expected level of care needed on completion of the surgery are the major differences between inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures. The outpatient surgical patient and family must cope with the additional stress of needing to learn a great deal of information in a short span of time. The nurse should explain that every surgical procedure is serious and that the patient will be given information to have a successful recovery. The nurse should not agree with the patient about outpatient surgery being minor. The nurse does not know if the patient needs to be admitted to the hospital. The nurse does not have enough information about the patient's insurance coverage to make the statement about the patient having surgery as an outpatient.