Assessment of Nurses' Knowledge on Bariatric Surgery and Postoperative Management in General Surgery Wards

Background: Core management strategies for obesity management include dietary and physical exercises, although obese patients benefit from pharmacological and surgical management. In the case of surgical options, nurses play a vital role in immediate postoperative care of bariatric patients in the hospital.Methods: This descriptive quantitative study aimed to assess the knowledge of nurses on bariatric surgery and postoperative management in general surgery wards. A questionnaire used to collect the data from 41 surgical ward nurses who worked an inner London National Health Services hospital.Results: The least knowledge was about the type of bariatric surgery that achieves reduced absorption due to decreased gastric area and by bypassing the duodenum (29.3%). Postoperative care-related questions were generally correctly answered, such as those about diet, medication, and complications. The highest knowledge score, linked to years of nursing experience and education level. Self-perception of knowledge regarding bariatric surgery is proportional to the actual knowledge score, except for the group.Conclusion: The study showed the overall knowledge level of nurses for bariatric surgery was generally high, but some areas require improvement, especially around anatomy and physiology. This study shows that a special focus needs to be given to the nursing education and training.