Surgery
A person who has surgery must be prepared and then know the precautions and procedures to follow for a safe and successful recovery. These lessons will prepare you to be a resource for a person who has surgery and how to provide safe wound care.
Applying Elastic Stockings
The use of compression or elastic stockings is one way to improve blood flow up through the veins and back to the heart to prevent clots from forming in the legs. This lesson will teach you what causes blood clots, how elastic stockings work, how to apply them correctly, and what to look out for to recognize problems in the person you provide care for.
Care After Surgery
Every person’s surgery is different. A surgeon will decide on the best steps to follow for recovery. This lesson describes what to expect after surgery, common medicines taken after surgery, and problems (complications) that can develop. This lesson also explains how to look at a wound, help relieve a person’s pain, and ways to promote recovery.
Care of Drainage Bags
This lesson describes common types of wound drains and the systems used to collect drainage. You will learn about the purpose of the devices, how to empty and manage a device correctly, the ways to reduce spread of infection and how to properly dispose of wound drainage.
Care of Stitches (Sutures)
Proper care of stitches or sutures is needed in order for a wound to heal without an infection. This lesson explains what a wound should look like, the signs of infection, ways to promote wound healing, and how to safely clean a wound.
Changing a Gauze Dressing
When a person’s wound is covered with a gauze dressing, you need to know what a normal healing wound looks like, the signs of infection, and the risks for infection. This lesson explains how to look at a wound to know if it is healing, how to cleanse a wound and how to apply a new clean gauze dressing.
Getting Ready for Surgery
This care lesson explains the many ways that you can help the person you care for prepare for surgery. You will learn the types of questions to ask during the first visit with a surgeon. The care lesson also explains the risks of surgery, activities to complete on the day before surgery, and the exercises a person can learn in preparing for recovery from surgery.