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Tips To Ensure A Speedy Spinal Surgery Recovery - Nurse Burns (VIDEO)

By Sarah Burns RN Expert October 19, 2009 - 10:53am
 
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Nurse Sarah Burns introduces herself and shares some tips for a speedy recovery after spinal surgery.

More Videos from Sarah Burns RN 5 videos in this series

Sarah:

Hi, I am Sarah Burns. I am a registered nurse. I work at Alvarado Hospital in San Diego at the spine unit and my job is to take care of the patients, make sure they have everything they need and that they are comfortable and have a good stay while they are here.

Often patients ask me on the way out the door for some tips for a smooth recovery and I’d like to share some of those tips with you.

I think some of the most important ones are to ambulate frequently for small periods of time, meaning, by ambulatory I mean walking for short time with support, either using a walker or loved ones’ arm.

Also to really concentrate on your breathing. Make sure you breathe deeply and cough frequently because we don’t want you to get any lung infections. And also to drink plenty of fluids, water, prune juice is always a good one after spine surgery to prevent constipation, fruit and veg good for you and most importantly, feel free to call us at any time if you have any questions or concerns.

About Sarah Burns, R.N.:
Originally from England, Sarah Burns graduated at Oxford University with a four-year nursing degree and neurosciences diploma. She began her career as a neuro intensive care nurse in England and gaining orthopedic, gynecologic and oncology nursing experience in Holland. In 1994, Sarah moved to the United States as a traveling nurse where she discovered Texas, Florida and California and, by 1998, she accepted her first position at Alvarado Hospital in the emergency room and ICU. Years later, Sarah sought new experiences and went to serve at San Diego’s Balboa Naval Hospital as a surgical PACU nurse, but she soon returned to Alvarado.

 
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