Background:

Medical and technological advances and the improvement of anesthetic techniques have contributed to the development of outpatient surgery. The multidimensional needs of the person undergoing outpatient surgery call for more humanized and adequate care.

Objectives:

To know nurses’ perspective of the advantages of having a face-to-face nursing consultation after outpatient surgery.

Methodology:

A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive study with data collection through semi-structured interviews to nurses from a hospital unit in northern Portugal. Content analysis was carried out according to Bardin’s method. The study respected the ethical-moral principles.

Results:

The nurses report that the face-to-face nursing consultation after outpatient surgery allows for patient follow-up, assessment of complications, safety, expression of feelings and emotions, validation of health education, assessment of the patient’s level of satisfaction, and empathic communication.

Conclusion:

The face-to-face nursing consultation is a crucial moment for providing health education, thus improving the patient’s well-being, and to define realistic and achievable goals.

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