Abstract
PURPOSE: The intent of this study was to describe the perceptions, experiences, and barriers to the use of frailty screening for surgical patients. DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive design using semistructured interviews. METHODS: This qualitative study was based on interviews with 26 perianesthesia nurses from 17 states, all who were members of the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses, working full- or part-time in the specialty and experienced with older adults. FINDINGS: Three key themes regarding frailty assessment and management were identified: (1) challenges in frailty identification; (2) frailty and its ripple effects; and (3) optimizing frailty assessment and management. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses reported lack of education related to frailty assessment and an inability to adequately and objectively communicate their patients' needs to other providers. There is a need for education to train nurses to use frailty assessments. Integrating frailty assessment into preoperative nursing documentation can facilitate care planning and improved patient outcomes.