Understanding discharge instructions after vascular surgery: An observational study

Patient education is a dynamic ongoing process that occurs from admission to discharge. Vascular surgery is an intensive procedure that causes stress to patient and family members. High stress levels in patients are a barrier to learning. There is a large body of knowledge available on patient education. However, research is lacking on patient retention of discharge instructions after vascular surgery. This study describes patient responses to 4 questions that were asked 3 days after in-hospital teaching was completed by a registered nurse regarding either femoral-popliteal bypass surgery or abdominal aortic aneurysm repair surgery.