Bariatric nurse works with obesity patients before and after obesity surgery. Bariatric nursing is an extremely rewarding field. As the problem of adult and childhood obesity continues to grow, so does the popularity of bariatric surgery. Become a Bariatric nurse if you are interested in the fairly new bariatric field of health care
Bariatric Nurse
In_2005, the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) nursing membership embarked on a journey to develop a specialty certification program for nurses caring for morbidly obese and bariatric surgical patients. Obesity rates are up worldwide, 10 percent of all the world’s adults classified as obese. Surgical options for weight loss include Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and the LAP-BAND Adjustable Gastric Banding System.
Bariatric nurse duties:
-assesses and educates patients both before and after surgery and assists the doctors in the clinic.
-assists the surgeons in the operating room with many of the bariatric surgery procedures
- teaches pre-operative classes
-provides patients with personalized instructions in the hospital prior to discharge, all the do’s and don’ts about diet, exercise and return doctor visits
-teaches them what to expect when they come to the hospital for bariatric surgery,
-leads a monthly support group at the hospital which is attended by current and former patients, as well as people who are considering the procedure.
A bariatric nurse practitioner – works with a surgeon to provide patients with comprehensive follow-up care, monitors their physical condition and psychological adjustment during the first five years after the surgery.
Though care of bariatric surgery patients is very interesting nursing work, but the physical demands of nursing care of very heavy patients can be high.
How do you become a bariatric nurse?
To become a Certified Bariatric Nurse you have to successfully complete the Certified Bariatric Nurse examination. Each candidate must demonstrate competence in all technical aspects of bariatric nursing commensurate with the standards established by the American Society for Bariatric Surgery for effective and safe patient care.
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