Caring for a patient after operation
After an operation or procedure, the health professional team must provide care for the patient. Once the patient has returned to the ward, the health team must monitor pain and comfort levels, as well as recovery.
Objectives:
- Review patient status
- Present a status report to the team
- Assess a patient’s needs
Preparation activity
What do you know about this topic in English?
A health professional must also monitor incisions and wounds. Match the medical terms with the correct meaning.
-
Smell: ______
DressingInflamedOdorPusSuturesWound -
Red, painful, swollen: ______
DressingInflamedOdorPusSuturesWound -
An injury to the skin: ______
DressingInflamedOdorPusSuturesWound -
Stitches used to sew up a cut: _____
DressingInflamedOdorPusSuturesWound -
Yellowish liquid that comes out of a wound: _____
DressingInflamedOdorPusSuturesWound -
Covering that protects an injury: _______
Dressing
InflamedOdorPusSuturesWound
Listen and repeat
Listen to the following examples and practice repeating the phrases.
Patient: I am feeling very sleepy and tired.
Nurse’s assistant: I’ll turn off the light and lower your bed.
Patient: I feel sick. I think I am going to throw-up.
Nurse’s assistant: I will get you the vomit pan.
Patient: My throat is dry. I am thirsty.
Nurse’s assistant: I’ll get you some water.
Patient: I am hungry.
Nurse’s assistant: I’ll get you something to eat.
Patient: I’m cold.
Nurse’s assistant: I’ll put this extra blanket on your bed.
Patient: I’m too warm.
Nurse’s assistant: I will take off this blanket.
Patient: My incision is painful. It hurts.
Nurse’s assistant: I’ll get you some pain relief.
Patient: I’m uncomfortable.
Nurse’s assistant: I will get you another pillow.
Let’s Listen: Podcast 1 – Post-op visit
In the following podcast, you will hear a conversation between a health professional and a patient during an immediate post-op visit.
Let’s Listen: Podcast 2 – Check-up and findings
A little later the nurse comes back to see how the patient is doing. Next, the nurse discusses her findings with her colleagues at a shift change: most workplaces call it “kardex”. A kardex is a review of a patient's status. The head nurse directs the meeting.