Impact of Perioperative Nursing Assessment Round on Anxiety and Complications of Elective Surgeries: A Quasi-Experimental Study at a Teaching Hospital in Nigeria

Background: A surgical patient is a person who receives medical treatment that involves operating procedures to treat, diagnose, or manage a condition. Objective: This study examined the impact of perioperative nursing assessment rounds on anxiety levels and postoperative outcomes among patients undergoing elective surgeries at Kwara State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. The study assessed preoperative anxiety, postoperative anxiety, and postoperative complications in treatment and control groups. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was adopted involving 92 adult patients scheduled for elective surgeries, equally divided into treatment and control groups. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing demographic characteristics, anxiety levels, pain experience, and satisfaction with preoperative education. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27 with descriptive and inferential statistics at a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: Most participants were female (68.5%) with tertiary education (47.8%), and 63% reported high preoperative anxiety. The treatment group showed a significant reduction in anxiety (4.28 to 3.54; p < 0.001), lower postoperative anxiety than controls (mean difference = 1.09; p < 0.05), declining pain from Day 1 to Days 12–15, and reduced later pain associated with higher satisfaction with preoperative education. Conclusion: The study concludes that perioperative nursing assessment rounds effectively reduce anxiety and enhance postoperative recovery, highlighting the need for improved nurse-led patient education and anxiety management. Keywords: Anxiety; Preoperative Anxiety; Postoperative Anxiety; Perioperative Nursing; Assessment Round; Elective Surgeries; Postoperative Complications; Pain Levels.