Clinical
Leadership & Management
Beyond the Surgical Procedure: Stigma and Psychosocial Aspects of Bariatric Surgery #1022 (1.00 CH)
Donna Roberson, PhD, RN, FNP-BC
Associate Professor
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC
Janice Neil, PhD, RN, CNE
Full Time Faculty College of Nursing
East Carolina University
Winterville, North Carolina
Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for severe obesity and the co-morbidities associated with it. However, the psychosocial aspects that accompany surgery are less known. Care of the super (morbidly) obese patient poses many challenges for the perioperative nurse to safely manage the care. Nurses may not be aware of the process a patient follows to obtain approval for surgery, the factors that lead patients to choose the surgery, or their experiences after having surgery. All of these may impact their success. The presenters will disclose the results of four completed qualitative studies that delved into the psychosocial factors surrounding bariatric surgery. Patients chose surgery for their health and to improve quality of life. They experienced stigma, such as the surgery was perceived as “the easy way out.” Decision making was influenced by family, friends, and physical mobility. Social media was unexpectedly revealed as a unique support network for patients. This presentation will help the perioperative nurse understand the many psychosocial facets of bariatric surgery through the patient lens.