41 Nursing in Skull Base Surgery • A team-based approach is essential for managing skull base patients. It requires expertise from several medical disciplines, such as neurosurgery, otolaryngology, craniomaxillofacial and plastic surgery, vascular surgery, pathology, neuroradiology and interventional neuroradiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy, as well as multiple nursing disciplines, such as operating room nurses, clinical nurses with competence in skull base pathologies, and home care staff. Further interprofessional collaboration is often required: speech pathologists, social workers, dietitians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, radiation therapist, cancer care navigators, social workers, and psychologists among others. • All skull base nurses should be involved in teaching and research activity to improve the care and experiences of the patient and family. • The multidisciplinary management of patients affected by skull base pathologies should also include nurses and a nurse manager, for the best care of patients and family in the pre- and postoperative management of the disease (instrumental tests, follow-up, quality of life assessment, data collection, etc.). • Lack of information is the main reason for patients’ and families’ inability to cope with skull base pathologies, management of complications, and related issues.1 • Ideally, the nurse should also be part of the skull base team and should meet the patient during the first encounter with the surgical team. The nurse can aid in the discussion about treatment options and in the informed consent process.1 The medical staff should also discuss potential facial deformities related to skull base tumors and radical surgery with the patients and their family.2 • In the preoperative assessment, nurses are involved in identifying comorbidities, social and other risk factors, and neuropsychological issues, which may affect the surgical and treatment outcome. Nurses are also involved in informing patients about medical issues relevant to the patient’s disease and care plan, and possible complications and their management. Nurses also assist patients in coping with anxiety and fear.3–5 • Nurse managers or practitioners can also provide a continuity of care along with support for patients and families during prolonged surgeries and postoperative follow-up treatment and surveillance.
Longitudinal Care of Patients and Families by Nurses
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