Date of Award

Fall 12-24-2019

Document Type

Independent Study

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Nursing

Program Affiliation

Nurse Educator (NE)

First Advisor

Kris Hendrickx

Abstract

Surgical site infections are an undesired consequence of surgery. Smoking has been identified as a risk factor for developing a postoperative infection (Anderson, 2019). Patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery should be required to be tobacco-free for at least four weeks before surgery. Health care organizations can implement a preoperative smoking cessation program within their facility to assist patients in achieving this requirement. To do so, an education plan is needed to effectively disseminate the main components of the program to both patients and health care professionals. The efficacy of the education plan can be exponentially increased by selecting learning strategies that align with the concepts of the adult learning theory. Adults can learn best when they understand the rationale, they can direct their learning, the material is based in reality and it is directly applicable to their life and previous experiences (McEwen & Wills, 2014). Therefore, a preoperative smoking cessation education plan within an adult learning theory framework can include the following evidence-based learning strategies: pamphlets, videos, computer-based training courses, in-services, poster board presentations, quick reference cards, and unit mentorships.

Included in

Nursing Commons

COinS