Objective: To develop an anesthesia nurse-led prehabilitation service system for elderly surgical patients and evaluate its clinical effectiveness.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted from January 2022 to December 2023 at a tertiary hospital. Using the Delphi method, we established a prehabilitation service framework comprising preoperative risk assessment, multimodal exercise training, nutritional optimization, and psychological preparation. Elderly patients (≥65 years) undergoing elective surgery were assigned to either the intervention group (n=156) receiving the nurse-led prehabilitation program or the control group (n=148) receiving standard care. Primary outcomes included postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, and functional recovery measured by the six-minute walk test. Secondary outcomes encompassed patient satisfaction and quality of life assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire.
Results: The intervention group demonstrated significantly lower postoperative complication rates compared to controls (18.6% vs. 31.8%, P=0.008). Mean hospital stay was reduced by 2.3 days in the intervention group (7.2±2.1 vs. 9.5±3.4 days, P<0.001). Functional capacity improved significantly, with the intervention group showing greater enhancement in six-minute walk distance (68.5±24.3m vs. 32.1±18.6m improvement, P<0.001). Patient satisfaction scores were significantly higher in the intervention group (92.4±5.8 vs. 84.6±7.2, P<0.001). Conclusion: The anesthesia nurse-led prehabilitation service system effectively reduces postoperative complications, shortens hospital stay, and enhances functional recovery in geriatric surgical patients, providing an evidence-based model for perioperative nursing practice.

Authors:
Fang Li, Army Medical University, China

About the Presenter(s)
Since being appointed as a Senior Nurse in 2017, I have been engaged in clinical nursing, serving as a teaching leader and instructor. I have actively participated in various medical support and rescue work.

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