Prevention and management of pre-operative thirst in patients undergoing elective surgery: a best practice implementation project

INTRODUCTION: Peri-operative thirst is the second most common source of distress among surgical patients, yet its clinical management remains suboptimal and unstructured. OBJECTIVES: This evidence implementation project aimed to improve the prevention and management of pre-operative thirst in patients undergoing elective sequential gynecological surgery at a public tertiary hospital in Hangzhou, China. METHODS: This project employed a before-and-after study design guided by the JBI Evidence Implementation Framework, utilizing the JBI Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System (PACES) and Getting Research into Practice (GRiP) tool. A baseline audit was conducted using 21 evidence-based audit criteria to assess compliance with best practices. Barriers to compliance were identified, and targeted strategies were implemented. Three follow-up audits were conducted to evaluate compliance improvement and strategy sustainability at 3, 6, and 9 months post implementation. RESULTS: The baseline audit revealed an overall compliance rate of 5.29%. Following the implementation of targeted strategies, three sequential follow-up audits demonstrated progressive and sustained improvement: overall compliance increased to 40.65%, 76.19%, and 92.19% at 3, 6, and 9 months, respectively. In the final follow-up audit, 16 of the 21 criteria (76.2%) achieved full compliance (100%). CONCLUSION: This project improved surgical nurses' management of pre-operative thirst and promoted hospital-wide, evidence-based practice. The evidence-based recommendations reduced the gap between current and best practices, thereby enhancing both the quality of care and patient satisfaction. Future practice should embed the new protocols into routine workflows and address the specific challenges in pre-operative fasting for sequential surgery patients. SPANISH ABSTRACT: http://links.lww.com/IJEBH/A553.