Association Between Nurse Anesthetist Therapeutic Communication and Psychological Readiness Among Preoperative Patients Receiving Spinal Anesthesia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Authors

  • Muhammad Subhan Syawalani Universitas ‘Aisyiyah Yogyakarta Author
  • Ellyda Septiani Pramita Universitas ‘Aisyiyah Yogyakarta Author
  • Vita Purnamasari Universitas ‘Aisyiyah Yogyakarta Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.66763/gjmsn.v1i2.40

Keywords:

Nurse anesthetists, psychological readiness, spinal anesthesia, therapeutic communication, preoperative care

Abstract

Background: Psychological readiness is essential for patients undergoing surgery with spinal anesthesia because they generally remain conscious during the procedure. Therapeutic communication provided by nurse anesthetists may reduce uncertainty, strengthen trust, and support patients’ cognitive and emotional preparation before surgery.
Objectives: To examine the association between nurse anesthetists’ therapeutic communication and psychological readiness among preoperative patients receiving spinal anesthesia.
Methods: A quantitative descriptive-correlational study with a cross-sectional design was conducted at the Central Surgical Installation of RS PKU Muhammadiyah Gombong, Indonesia. Seventy-five patients aged 18–65 years were selected using purposive sampling. Therapeutic communication was assessed using a modified 20-item Therapeutic Communication Scale, while psychological readiness was measured using a modified 20-item Preoperative Assessment of Readiness Tool. Descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rank correlation were used for data analysis.
Results:   Most participants perceived nurse anesthetists’ therapeutic communication as good (66.7%), and 84.0% demonstrated high psychological readiness. Among participants who reported good therapeutic communication, 48 patients had high psychological readiness. Spearman’s rank correlation showed a statistically significant, strong, and positive association between therapeutic communication and psychological readiness (ρ = 0.681, p < 0.001).   
Conclusions:  Better therapeutic communication was associated with higher psychological readiness among preoperative patients receiving spinal anesthesia. Structured communication involving clear information, active listening, empathy, reassurance, and confirmation of understanding should be integrated into routine preoperative anesthesia care.

References

Abate, S. M., Chekol, Y. A., & Basu, B. (2020). Global prevalence and determinants of preoperative anxiety among surgical patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Surgery Open, 25, 6–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijso.2020.05.010

Afriyie, D. (2020). Effective communication between nurses and patients: An evolutionary concept analysis. British Journal of Community Nursing, 25(9), 438–445. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjcn.2020.25.9.438

Agüero-Millán, B., Abajas-Bustillo, R., & Ortego-Maté, C. (2023). Efficacy of nonpharmacologic interventions in preoperative anxiety: A systematic review of systematic reviews. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 32(17–18), 6229–6242. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.16755

Baagil, H., Baagil, H., & Gerbershagen, M. U. (2023). Preoperative anxiety impact on anesthetic and analgesic use. Medicina, 59(12), 2069. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina59122069

Bao, G., Liu, Y., Zhang, W., Yang, Y., Yao, M., Zhu, L., & Jin, J. (2022). Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Preoperative Assessment of Readiness Tool among surgical patients. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 916554. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.916554

Bedaso, A., Mekonnen, N., & Duko, B. (2022). Prevalence and factors associated with preoperative anxiety among patients undergoing surgery in low-income and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open, 12(3), e058187. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-058187

Chen, Y. Y. K., Soens, M. A., & Kovacheva, V. P. (2022). Less stress, better success: A scoping review on the effects of anxiety on anesthetic and analgesic consumption. Journal of Anesthesia, 36(4), 532–553. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00540-022-03081-4

Dias, P., Clerc, D., da Rocha Rodrigues, M. G., Demartines, N., Grass, F., & Hübner, M. (2022). Impact of an operating room nurse preoperative dialogue on anxiety, satisfaction and early postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing major visceral surgery: A single-center, open-label, randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 11(7), 1895. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11071895

Eberhart, L., Aust, H., Schuster, M., Sturm, T., Gehling, M., Euteneuer, F., & Rüsch, D. (2020). Preoperative anxiety in adults: A cross-sectional study on specific fears and risk factors. BMC Psychiatry, 20, 140. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02552-w

Haddad, F., Rais, S., Arfaoui, H., Kammoun, E., Naimi, S., & Mebazaa, M. S. (2024). Prevention of perioperative anxiety: Interest of audiovisual distraction. La Tunisie Médicale, 102(10), 664–670. https://doi.org/10.62438/tunismed.v102i10.4468

Howick, J., Moscrop, A., Mebius, A., Fanshawe, T. R., Lewith, G., Bishop, F. L., Mistiaen, P., Roberts, N. W., Dieninytė, E., Hu, X. Y., Aveyard, P., & Onakpoya, I. J. (2018). Effects of empathic and positive communication in healthcare consultations: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 111(7), 240–252. https://doi.org/10.1177/0141076818769477

Leonardsen, A. C. L., Wolf, A., & Nilsson, U. (2024). Patient-centeredness in the perioperative period: A rapid review of current research. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 39(5), 915–920.e3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jopan.2023.12.028

Moudatsou, M., Stavropoulou, A., Philalithis, A., & Koukouli, S. (2020). The role of empathy in health and social care professionals. Healthcare, 8(1), 26. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare8010026

Ng, S. X., Wang, W., Shen, Q., Toh, Z. A., & He, H. G. (2022). The effectiveness of preoperative education interventions on improving perioperative outcomes of adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 21(6), 521–536. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjcn/zvab123

Oteri, V., Martinelli, A., Crivellaro, E., & Gigli, F. (2021). The impact of preoperative anxiety on patients undergoing brain surgery: A systematic review. Neurosurgical Review, 44(6), 3047–3057. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10143-021-01498-1

Pereira, L., Figueiredo-Braga, M., & Carvalho, I. P. (2016). Preoperative anxiety in ambulatory surgery: The impact of an empathic patient-centered approach on psychological and clinical outcomes. Patient Education and Counseling, 99(5), 733–738. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2015.11.016

Ruiz Hernández, C., Gómez-Urquiza, J. L., Pradas-Hernández, L., Vargas-Román, K., Suleiman-Martos, N., Albendín-García, L., & Cañadas-De la Fuente, G. A. (2021). Effectiveness of nursing interventions for preoperative anxiety in adults: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 77(8), 3274–3285. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14827

Salzmann, S., Salzmann-Djufri, M., Wilhelm, M., & Euteneuer, F. (2020). Psychological preparation for cardiac surgery. Current Cardiology Reports, 22(12), 172. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-020-01424-9

Shebl, M. A., Toraih, E., Shebl, M., Tolba, A. M., Ahmed, P., Banga, H. S., Orz, M., Tammam, M., Saadalla, K., Elsayed, M., Kamal, M., Abdulla, M., Eldessouky, A. I., Moustafa, Y. T., Mohamed, O. A., & Aiash, H. (2025). Preoperative anxiety and its impact on surgical outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, 9(1), e33. https://doi.org/10.1017/cts.2025.6

Steves, S. L., & Scafide, K. N. (2021). Multimedia in preoperative patient education for adults undergoing cancer surgery: A systematic review. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 52, 101981. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2021.101981

Torres, G. C. S., & Macindo, J. R. B. (2018). Scale development and psychometric evaluation of the Preoperative Assessment of Readiness Tool. Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 33(6), 895–907. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jopan.2016.07.010

Wang, R., Huang, X., Wang, Y., & Akbari, M. (2022). Non-pharmacologic approaches in preoperative anxiety: A comprehensive review. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 854673. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.854673

Downloads

Published

2026-07-30