Patients often experience
problems that health care professionals might consider
minor but that cause considerable concern for patients. The
findings also emphasize the importance of nurses providing
specific and accurate, verbal and written discharge information to all patients to ensure complete and consistent
discharge information. Even though discharge information
may seem very routine to nurses, assessing, anticipating
and addressing the need for information related to pain,
wound care, activity, nutrition and complications will
likely enhance the ability of patients to care for themselves
at home after discharge after abdominal surgery.