Effect of Informing Family Members of Patients During Surgery

Effect of Informing Family Members of Patients by Phone Call on Their Anxiety Level During Undergoing Abdominal Cancer Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Psychological and physiological issues encountered by family members due to the intraoperative process are factors that complicate the support and care systems of the patient. It is stated that family members of patients undergoing surgery, especially those who do not have sufficient information about the surgical process, experience stress, anxiety, and concern. The need for nursing interventions aimed at providing information about the surgical process, reducing the anxiety levels of family members during the surgery, and supporting them is emphasized. In this context, the study aims to evaluate the effect of periodically informing family members of patients undergoing abdominal cancer surgery via phone during the surgery on their anxiety levels.

Once the patient scheduled for surgery is taken to the operating room, communication between the family members and the surgical team, as well as the patient, is cut off. Family members who do not have any information about the progress of the surgery experience anxiety during the waiting period. High levels of anxiety can limit the family members' ability to understand and process information, affecting their ability to cope with the situation. The high anxiety experienced by family members during the surgery can reflect onto the patient postoperatively, potentially negatively impacting the patient's adaptation, recovery process, and family relations. It is known that family members of patients undergoing cancer surgery experience a higher level of anxiety. The anxiety emerging during this process leads to various physiological and psychological negative consequences for the family members. It is known that informing family members by nurses during surgery helps reduce their anxiety. In this direction, the primary aim of the study is to determine the effect of periodically informing family members of patients undergoing abdominal cancer surgery via phone during the surgery on their anxiety levels. Additionally, the study will evaluate the satisfaction levels of the participants.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being a first-degree relative who has given consent,
• Being able to understand and speak Turkish,
• Being literate,
• Willing to participate in the study,
• Using a phone,
• Being present in the hospital before, during, and after the surgery.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Having a hearing or speech impairment,
• Having a psychiatric disorder or using psychiatric medication.

Endpoint Criteria:

• Inability to reach the participant when called during the surgery,
• The patient's death during the surgery.