Nursing Intervention for the Reduction of Anxiety During the Process of Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty Within the Optimized Recovery Program.

Nursing Intervention for the Reduction of Anxiety During the Process of Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty Within the Optimized Recovery Program.

Osteoarthrosis (OA) is a chronic, degenerative disease characterized by joint wear and tear. It is a major cause of pain, disability and decreased quality of life. Total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) represent an effective alternative for the treatment and pain control of patients with osteoarthritis. The "fast-track" program is translated as enhanced recovery or fast-track, and consists of the active participation of patients in their own recovery and immediate post-surgical mobilization, thanks to preoperative education through an educational workshop, the type of analgesia used and the empowerment of the patient in his or her own recovery.

The problem of anxiety in the surgical patient and the role of nurses in it has been widely studied for some decades, as shown in the scientific literature. Our experience as professionals of a hospital unit of orthopedic surgery and traumatology shows us the reality of this situation and the investigators find that when discharging patients who have undergone surgery and are discharged after 24 hours, the patient almost globally manifests a series of expressions, behaviors or behaviors that are related to anxious behavior, a completely natural human response of a patient who does not know what he is going to face. This leads us to detect a need to reinforce the information provided at discharge and the accompaniment during the first weeks after discharge.

Anxiety is a complex reaction to potentially dangerous situations or stimuli. It is an alarm signal that triggers a series of responses to cope with the situation. Anxiety is an emotional response that encompasses unpleasant cognitive aspects and physiological alterations that manifest themselves with high nervousness and even motor alterations.

Surgery is perceived by the patient as an important stress factor that can translate into nervousness and anxiety. Anxiety is almost always present during surgery, to a greater or lesser degree, both preoperatively and postoperatively.

Several studies have shown that good preoperative information reduces preoperative and postoperative anxiety. Patients need information about their process since dispelling their doubts will minimize anxiety. Currently there is very little information on anxiety during the whole surgical process. Therefore, in the present project the investigators propose to carry out a research study to analyze whether nursing intervention has beneficial results in the surgical patient.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients scheduled with signed consent for primary hip arthroplasty surgery, age over 18 years, patients who agree to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who are discharged to a social-health center, patients with cognitive or mental disorders, patients who cannot read or write.