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Three patient conferences.

After having two years' experience as a clinical instructor on a female surgical ward, the author has often wondered if patients going to surgery have been adequately prepared for their operations. Have their questions been answered and their psychological needs been met? As students must work under the limitations of time, knowledge and skills, it is the author's intention to find a different approach to that of the traditional bed-side teaching, so that the needs of both the patient and student may be better satisfied.
 In recent years, there has been an increasing number of group sessions employed in teaching-learning situations. Such experiences are integral parts of programs of nursing, medicine and other health sciences (1, 2, 3). Their use is particularly noted in clinical areas, for example the antenatal clinics, preoperative patient teaching conferences and psychosocial therapeutic sessions etc. The author does not need to belabour the advantages of group sessions; it has been widely recognized that members of a small group seek and receive support from one another. They enjoy the sense of group identity and a satisfaction of attainment of the aims and objectives of the group. Studies have revealed that many patients experience a certain amount of anxiety, preoperatively (4, 5, 6), and that such patients may obtain support and help by sharing their anticipated experiences with other patients and with a knowledgeable professional, such as a nurse (7, 8, 9, 10). Hearing others verbalize their fears, concerns and apprehensions about surgery may encourage a patient to do the same. Explanations by a nurse will help to increase, in a meaningful way, the patient's knowledge about his forthcoming surgery. It was thus decided that group sessions be tried to prepare patients for their operations.