Determination of preoperative involuntary thoughts in patients who will undergo ureteroscopy

Determination of Preoperative Involuntary Thoughts in Patients Who Will Undergo Ureteroscopy This research was conducted in a descriptive and cross-sectional design to determine the involuntary thoughts in patients scheduled for ureteroscopy. A descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2025 and June 2025 with 252 patients scheduled for ureteroscopy at the urology clinic of Adana City Training and Research Hospital. In data collection, the "Personal Information Form" and the "Preoperative İnvoluntary Thoughts Scale" were used. Categorical data are presented as counts and percentages, and numerical data as mean ± SD or median; normal distribution was checked using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The average age of the patients included in the study is 48.11±14.68, with 69.4% being male, 20.3% having higher education, and 59.1% being unemployed. It was determined that 39.3% of the participants had at least one chronic disease and 71.8% had previously undergone surgery. In the preoperative period, the total mean score of the patients on the Preoperative Involuntary Thoughts Scale was found to be 18.62±14.17, indicating clinically significant anxiety. A statistically significant difference was found between the anxiety about loss of control dimension, anxiety about the post-procedure dimension and total scale scores according to the gender variable (p<0.05). It was determined that female patients had higher levels of involuntary thoughts than males. Similarly, a significant difference was observed between the anxiety about loss of control dimension and the total scale scores according to the presence of chronic disease; it was found that the level of involuntary thoughts was higher in individuals with chronic disease (p<0.05). These results demonstrate that patients undergoing ureteroscopy experience clinically significant levels of anxiety and that individualized psychological support approaches are necessary in preparation for the surgical process. Key Words; Ureteroscopy, Before Surgery, İnvoluntary Thoughts, Anxiety, Nursing.