Rehabilitation nursing: Functional independence after surgery for head and neck cancer

Abstract

Background: Surgery for head and neck cancer (HNC) compromises patients’ functional capacity and self-care, thus early rehabilitation is crucial. There is little scientific evidence in this area, particularly in demonstrating the positive impact of the intervention of rehabilitation nurses (RNs) on the functionality and level of dependence of patients undergoing HNC surgery. Objective: To assess the level of dependence at clinical discharge in patients undergoing HNC surgery with the intervention of RNs. Methodology: A quantitative, observational, and retrospective cohort study was conducted to compare these two groups of patients with and without intervention. Results: In this sample (n = 133), the length of stay was reduced (5.02 days) in the intervention group. The differentiated intervention improved the functional capacity and independence of tracheostomized patients (RR:1.55; 95% CI [1.04;2.31]; p = 0.03), after adjusting for confounding factors in the High Discharge Barthel Index variable. Conclusion: RNs’ specialized care for patients undergoing HNC surgery, as part of a multidisciplinary intervention, is fundamental to reducing the level of dependence after surgery.