Effects of intraoperative progress reports on anxiety levels of surgical patientsʹ family members

A three-group quasi-experimental posttest-only design was used to examine the effectiveness of intraoperative progress reports by comparing family membersʹ state-anxiety score, mean arterial pressure level (MAP), and heart rate during elective surgical procedures. Control-group family members (n = 50) received usual care. Family members in the experimental group (n = 50) received a 5- to 10-minute progress report protocol about halfway through a surgical procedure. An additional group of family members (n = 50) received an attention protocol. Family members in the experimental group reported lower state-anxiety scores (p < .001) and had significantly lower MAP levels (p < .001) and heart rates (p < .01) compared with the control and attention groups. Progress reports appear to be a beneficial independent nursing intervention for reducing anxiety in family members during the intraoperative waiting period.