Registered nurses’ different perspectives of preoperative information before acute abdominal surgery – a phenomenographic study

Abstract Introduction Preoperative information is crucial for enhancing patients’ recovery, satisfaction, and hospital duration, making it a key component of surgical nursing care. Acute abdominal surgery represents a significant patient group. Registered nurses are pivotal in delivering preoperative information to these patients, and their comprehension is vital for meeting patient’s fundamental care needs. The aim was to explore and describe the various ways registered nurses perceive their role in providing preoperative information to patients undergoing acute abdominal surgery. Method A qualitative interview study was performed utilising a phenomenographic approach to analyse data. Individual interviews were conducted with a strategically selected sample of 19 registered nurses from two hospitals in Sweden. Result The study identified two main perspectives on preoperative information, ‘Intervention focus’ and ‘Holistic focus’, with additionally five sub-perspectives; ‘The Doer’, ‘The Explainer’, ‘The Educator’, ‘The Adviser’ and ‘The Pathfinder’, arranged hierarchically. Nurses with an ‘Intervention focus’ were task-orientated and used one-way communication, whereas nurses with a ‘Holistic focus’ adopted a person-centred approach, emphasizing patient participation. Discussion Nurses’ perceptions of preoperative information form a complex hierarchy. Nurses with a ‘Holistic focus’ engage in relational actions and provide individualized information, enhancing patient involvement. These results can guide professional development and education for nurses and nurse managers, fostering a deeper understanding necessary for delivering person-centred care and meeting patients’ fundamental care needs effectively.