SURG-100 The Surgical Patient

Credits 2 / 2 Contact Hours
Pre-requisite: Placement into College Level Reading, completion of ELAP-120 with a 2.0 or higher, or successful completion of ACRD-090, ACRD-091 or ACRD-092; SURG-101, SURG-102 and SURG-103. Co-requisite: SURG-110. Pre- or co-requisite: COMM-131, PSYC-281 and PHIL-295.
Lectures will present the protocol and procedures directly affecting the care and safety of the patient. This includes the ethical, legal, and moral responsibilities of the technologist, the concepts of patient care, and preoperative routines, along with elements of proper documentation and risk management.

Course Outcomes
A. Assess the patient’s physical, spiritual, and psychological responses to illness, hospitalization, and surgical intervention including the impact of hospitalization on lifestyle.

B. Discuss biopsychosocial needs and death and dying of the patient.

C. Discuss the ethical, legal, and moral responsibilities of the surgical technologist.

D. Discuss the concepts of patient care, and preoperative routines.

E. Explain the proper elements of documentation and risk management.

F. Cite examples of interventions used by health care providers to respond to needs manifested by the surgical patient.

G. Discuss patient rights contained in formal Patient Bill of Rights documents found within a variety of health care organizations. Analyze the rights of patients including the right to receive quality care, the right to privacy, the right to informed consent, and other specific areas of patient rights contained in formal Patient Bill of Rights documents found within a variety of health care organizations.

H. Explain the contents of the informed consent to treat authorization document.

I. Explain the role of the surgeon and the witness when an informed consent document is witnessed.

J. Discuss exceptions to the patient signature requirement and validity of an informed consent.

K. Explain the process used to obtain a legally valid informed consent to treat authorization.

L. Identify preoperative physical preparation of the surgical patient.

M. Describe the importance and process of reviewing a patient’s chart preoperatively for the necessary pre-surgery preparation.

N. Explain the purpose and technique for correct patient and procedure identification.

O. Transfer and transport the patient through the steps of a surgical procedure.

P. Position the surgical patient for surgical procedures.

Q. Document the pre-surgical, the surgical, and the post-surgery events and processes for each patient.

R. Explain the purpose and legal necessity for thorough documentation.