The focus of this term paper is the nursing care for a client undergoing surgery.  Students will be asked to select a surgical procedure and discuss the nursing care for this client before and after surgery.  The paper will include a teaching component for the client and if appropriate for family members.

1. The student is to select a client undergoing General Surgery. The student may select any type of surgery to write the paper. The surgery must require that the client remains in the hospital for at least 24 hours. The student will base their paper on the surgical procedure of the selected client.  All students must have their topic approved by their instructor at least 1 week prior to the papers due date.
2. The paper will address the following areas;

1. Brief discussion of the pathophysiology necessitating the surgery
2. Brief discussion of surgical procedure
3. Pre operative and post operative nursing care for your client and/or care specific to the surgical procedure. (This is to include care you did and care that should be done even if you were not the one to do it)
4. Post operative teaching plan for the client and their family (this should include what they need to know after surgery, in the hospital and discharge needs.  This needs to be specific to your client)
5. Identify two potential or actual complications and how nurses prevent or manage those complications. Examples: Pain, DVT, Pneumonia, Urinary Retention, Anemia etc.

1. The paper must be completed in APA format.
2. The paper is expected to be 5 to 6 pages in length.
3. Students are to include information from one research article and one peer reviewed article in the body of the paper. These articles must be current as evident by being written with in the last 5 years. Students must complete this assignment in order to pass the course.