The anxiety levels and information requirements of day surgery patients before surgery

The study was descriptively done in order to determine before surgery anxiety levels and knowledge needs of day surgery patients. The study was conducted with 151 patients who would receive day surgery at surgical clinics of a university hospital located in city center of Trabzon Province. The data were gathered with Patient Information Form designed by the researcher and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. For the data assessment; percentages, arithmetical means, standard deviation, minimum and maximum numbers, t test-Mann-Whitney U test and Oneway ANOVA test for the independent groups and Kruskal Wallis Variance Analyses were employed. It was found out that most of the patients obtained information about day surgery but the rate to receive information on some topics was low and patients obtained information about surgical process from physicians. Three fourth of the participant patients found information received on surgical process satisfactory and more than two third of the patients wanted detailed information. It was noted that three fourth of the significant others of the participant patients were informed. Although most of the patients stated that they did not have any anxiety about surgery and anesthesia; it was seen that their mean scores of state anxiety and trait anxiety were higher. It was identified that there were statistically significant differences among mean state anxiety scores in terms of age groups and among state and trait anxiety scores in terms of gender. It was identified that mean state anxiety scores of patients receiving general anesthesia and mean trait anxiety scores of those receiving local anesthesia were higher. It was noted that there was statistically significant difference between mean scores of state anxiety and trait anxiety of the patients who were anxious about anesthesia and surgery. The study results may be used as a guide in order to provide patients and their significant others with sufficient information about day surgery process and to decrease their anxiety on surgery and anesthesia during before surgery period.