The post operative/anaesthetic treatment

 Introduction 
Post operative care is the holistic care and management of a patient post surgery, and is directed towards the prevention of complications resulting from surgery and anaesthesia (Yousef, 2008). It’s the care a patient receives immediately after a surgical procedure. This may include pain management, cleaning suture sites, blood clots, etc. It is the nursing staff’s responsibility to assess, plan and implement plan in collaboration with a team from multiple disciples. 
In actual terms planning for post operative care starts right during the surgery itself. The type of care is based on the type and criticality of the surgery the patient has undergone. The complications post surgery may range from small blood clots at surgery sites to fluctuating body parameters. Optimal management or care of the patient at the post operative phages can only be achieved by appropriate clinical assessment, management and monitoring of the patient (Scottish Intercollegiate Guide, 1999). Nurses have been assigned separate phases of post operative care. The first phase is the transfer of the patient to the ward for recovery. The nurse who deals with this particular phase is called the recovery room nurse who checks for prerequisite criteria’s which once fulfilled makes the patient eligible to be moved to the ward. The nurse first needs to check whether Mr. Walker is conscious, and responding to voice or touch (Pratt, 2015). The next criterion is the whether he is able to maintain a clear pathway i.e. he is able to breathe properly with a cough reflex. Clinical measurements of vital signs such as pulse rate, temperature, breathing rate and blood pressure are stable and oxygen saturation limit should be about 96%. Mr Walker has been brought post a hartmann’s procedure, with his vital signs not in a proper shape. Thus a recovery nurse needs to do most of the work as to make sure his vital parameters are stable before transferring him to the ward nurse for prolonged treatment. Once all these are fulfilled the recovery nurse transfers the patient to the ward nurse (Lee, 2013). Along with the patient goes his/her report. The report includes the kind and type of surgery performed in details. The report also entails the type of anesthesia used and for how much time was it used. What type of incision was done, and if there was any wound how the dressing was done. Was there any ooze from the wound? Most importantly the report also lists the presence of any drainage tube or catheters, and if present what is their output. Urine output, detailed record of intravenous fluids administered, any blood loss, etc are also included in the report. The report also explains if any complication developed during the course of surgery, and medications such as analgesics were used (Odom-Forren, 2008). Before the recovery room handovers the patient the ward nurse he/she ensures that the operative record, recovery room notes and anesthetic record are complete and entails all the required information regarding the patient. In case of Mr Walker the report prepared by the recovery nurse should mention his progress and also about the catheter inserted into his right subclavian vein.
The second phase involves transfer of the patient to the ward to be taken care through the ward nurse. The ward nurse ensures the smooth transfer of the patient on the cot. He/She ensures that the patient is transferred on a tilted cot with proper brakes and cot side oxygen. The trolley should contain a CPR mask, disposable gloves, tissues and any other requirements. The ward nurse not only transfers the patient, he/she observes the patient during the transfer. The nurse positions near the head monitoring patients color and breathing rate during transfer. Once the transfer trolley with the patient reaches the ward, the nurse makes sure the patient is moved in a safe manner with proper technique. The nurse then ensures a safe environment for the patient with oxygen, suction and the calling bell within the reach of the patient. The nurse should ensure the cot sides are kept vertical, ensuring the patient does roll down during sleep (Needleman, 2002). In case of Mr.Walker who is 64 year old, this transfer process from one ward to another would be a tricky job. With a compromised breathing rate and a catheter in his vein the nurse needs to ensure that a doctor stays along the whole process for emergency. The nurse should also ensure that is his CPR mask is ready and the oxygen cylinders are ready to be used in the ward. As Mr. Walker has a decreased air entry, the ward nurse needs to make sure that the following is entered into the his chart kept besides the cot.
The third phase of post operative nurse care involves implementing the post operative assessment management and the care plan. This implementation is solely based on the type of surgery. Based on the surgery position the patient in a safe environment, following any specific post operative medical instructions. T