Postsurgical Comfort Care
Evidence suggests that patients do better when their expectations about specific benefits of nursing care are discussed and met. Design a “comfort contract” whereby patients or their surrogates designate an expected level of postsurgical overall comfort, and also where they can specify chronic discomforts and interventions that they use at home for relief.
Sample Answer
Comfort Contract
This contract is between [patient name] and [nurse name], and it outlines the patient’s expectations for comfort care after surgery.
Patient Expectations
The patient expects to be as comfortable as possible after surgery. This includes having pain relief that is effective and does not cause side effects. The patient also expects to be able to move around and get out of bed as soon as possible.