Emotional and psychological preoperative preparation in adults.

Emotional and psychological surgical preparation plays an important role in many areas of nursing. However, it varies greatly in terms of its perception and delivery. The aim of this article is to familiarize the reader with the concept of emotional and psychological preparation for surgery and to explain how this may be achieved in nursing practice. It highlights that gender, age, and previous experiences are predisposing factors to preoperative anxiety, as is fear of the unknown and fear of harm. It is recommended that information should be given verbally with written supplements and that the patient should be encouraged to ask questions. Diversion therapy such as music, humour and guided imagery have been shown to be effective in reducing patients' preoperative anxiety.