Impact of a rehabilitation nursing program implemented in the pre and postoperative periods in people undergoing elective abdominal surgery

Objective: To assess the impact of a Rehabilitation Nursing program on anxiety control and increase of functional independence, when implemented in the pre and postoperative periods in people undergoing elective abdominal surgery. Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive study, based on Robert Yin's Case Study methodology, was applied to patients admitted to a Surgery service of an institution in the south of Portugal, in a non-probabilistic, accidental sample composed of 5 patients. Assessment instruments were used: Modified Borg Scale, Zung's Self-Assessment Scale of Anxiety and Functional Independence Measurement Scale. Results: The application of a rehabilitation nursing program based on respiratory, and motor functional re-education interventions effectively contributed to the improvement of respiratory function, anxiety control, pain control, and empowerment for self-care. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the implementation of the rehabilitation nursing programme in the pre- and postoperative periods for people undergoing elective abdominal surgery contributed to the improvement of functionality in general, the prevention of postoperative complications, the reduction of hospital admissions and the early return of people to their daily and working lives.