Implementation of a Preoperative Nursing Consultation in Elective Paediatric Surgery: An Implementation Science Perspective

AIM: To analyse the role of standardized protocols and nurse-led preoperative consultations in elective paediatric surgery and the factors influencing their implementation. DESIGN: Perspective article guided by the integrated Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services framework. DATA SOURCES: Structured search of Dialnet, PubMed, SciELO and the Cochrane Library for studies published between 2018 and 2025, conducted between January and March 2025. Of 547 records identified, 40 sources were eligible and 17 inform this article. CONCLUSION: Available studies suggest that non-pharmacological interventions, family involvement and nurse-led preoperative preparation may reduce anxiety and improve the surgical experience. However, implementation remains inconsistent because of workload, limited training and resources and insufficient institutional support. Nurses are well placed to facilitate the translation of evidence into practice, while organizational culture and leadership determine sustainability. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Nurses can operationalize preoperative consultations through structured, developmentally appropriate assessment of child and parental anxiety and of pain; child- and family-centered education; non-pharmacological preparation; escalation of high anxiety or pain through agreed referral pathways; and local adaptation of evidence-based protocols with the multidisciplinary team. IMPACT: This article addresses the gap between evidence and practice in paediatric preoperative care. It identifies barriers and facilitators related to the innovation, its recipients, the context and facilitation, and proposes nurse-led implementation strategies that require evaluation. It is relevant to perioperative nurses, managers and policymakers in paediatric surgical services. REPORTING METHOD: No EQUATOR reporting guideline applies to perspective articles; the literature search is reported in the Methods. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: This perspective article is based on a structured literature search and on theoretical implementation frameworks. No primary data were collected, and no patients, caregivers, service users, or members of the public were involved in the design, conduct, analysis, or preparation of this manuscript.