Spine Surgery: A Clinical Practice Guideline for Perioperative Nursing Care (Guideline & Webinar)-2025 Spine CPG Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The webinar presents the development and recommendations of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses’ clinical practice guideline, <em>Spine Surgery: A Clinical Practice Guideline for Perioperative Nursing Care</em>. The guideline addresses 14 PICO questions concerning nursing care for adults undergoing spine surgery, including patients with spinal cord injury.

The authors used librarian-led searches of multiple databases, systematic screening and appraisal of studies, and the GRADE framework to assess evidence quality and recommendation strength. The evidence covered preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care. Recommendations address education and anxiety reduction, risk-factor assessment, infection prevention, pressure-injury prevention, temperature management, nutrition, mobility, urinary and bowel function, pain control, drains, and support for people with spinal cord injuries.

Evidence quality varied from very low to high. Many recommendations were strong despite limited or low-quality evidence, reflecting the balance of potential benefits and harms for patients and the feasibility of the interventions. Some topics—such as external brace care and the optimal timing of support or counseling—had insufficient evidence.

The presenters emphasize that postoperative outcomes begin before surgery and encourage clinicians to use the guideline to inform practice, evaluate interventions, and share results. A major challenge was the scarcity of nursing-specific research, with relevant practices often described in physician-focused studies or broader recovery protocols. The webinar concludes with a call for more nursing research and implementation studies to address knowledge gaps and improve care for spine surgery patients.

Keywords

spine surgery

perioperative nursing care

clinical practice guideline

neuroscience nurses

GRADE framework

preoperative care

postoperative care

infection prevention

pain control

spinal cord injury