How Can Ophthalmic Nurses Help To Prevent Complications During Complicated Cataract Surgery?

Cataract surgery is among the most common and successful surgical procedures performed today. Complications during surgery rarely occur, but when they do, it's a matter of acting quickly. An experienced nurse must be prepared for various problems that may arise. Communication between team members, especially the surgeon and the sterile assistant is extra important in case of complications. High level of knowledge of each step of the operation by the nurse can lead to less complications, because of the ability to act faster.

Augenarzt Praxis Vivell, Bruchsal, Germany.

An in-depth assignment based on a literature review. In order to establish a good structure for the literature search and the research question, the PICO form was used. To find relevant studies, searches were made in various reputable databases. The searches were limited to literature from 2015 till today. All articles selected followed the IMRaD model. The literature that has been used is from reputable publishers that are considered reliable. Based on this information a flow diagram have been produced for perioperative complication management.

The communication in a surgical team has a major impact on patient safety. Most teams have varying members from day to day. This can lead to challenges in terms of the team's adaptability. The likelihood of errors and interruptions during surgical procedures increases due to lack of knowledge and skills in relation to the procedures. Poor communication between nurses and doctors, can lead to complications. Communication models such as SBAR (situation – Background – Assessment – Recommendation) can increase patient safety and reduce the risk of complications. When all the people in an operation team share the same mental model, it can lead to improved attention and optimize the way people both give and receive information.

In order to increase quality and patient safety, communication and teamwork between healthcare personnel are important factors to focus on. Checklists and standard flow diagrams of what to do in complicated cases can be of great help.