What Does Nursing Care Involve for My Teen Post-Surgery?

Teens with complex medical needs often require specialized interventions like surgery, but without the necessary support, they may experience setbacks, such as infection or pressure sores. 

As a parent, it’s normal to want to provide everything your teen needs to feel their best. And when it comes to recovery after surgery, partnering with skilled nurses often makes the most sense. 

At Little Angels PPEC, with locations in Longwood, Orlando, and Apopka, Florida, our team offers skilled nursing to support surgical recovery. Read on to learn how our expert team can help your teen heal more quickly and return to their daily routine. 

Understanding skilled nursing care

Skilled nursing care provides professional medical support from licensed nurses. Each of our facilities offers this type of support for children and teens, including vital sign monitoring, medication management, and specialized therapies.

These services can help speed recovery after surgery and provide a rest for parents or other caregivers by ensuring your teen has everything they need to heal and feel their best.

What to expect from skilled nursing care

Our experienced team offers various skilled nursing services, including:

Monitoring vital signs and overall recovery

During post-surgery recovery, it’s important to monitor vital signs, such as: 

• Blood pressure 
• Oxygen levels
• Heart rate 
• Temperature 

Fluctuations in any of these areas can increase the risk of complications or delay recovery.

Our nurses closely watch all of the teens in our care, both to monitor their vital signs and check for any concerning symptoms, such as pain or infection. 

We also provide nutrition and hydration support with healthy meals, snacks, and fluids to prevent dehydration and encourage healing.

Pain management and comfort support

Teens often experience and express pain differently than adults, which can make pain management challenging, especially for teens with multiple incisions. 

To ensure your teen’s comfort, we provide their prescribed medication(s) on a set schedule, reposition them as needed to prevent pressure sores, and offer supportive treatments. 

The goal is to keep your teen comfortable throughout the day so they can heal efficiently and return to their routine.

Medication management and education

After surgery, many teens need to take multiple medications, including painkillers and antibiotics. However, since many teens with special needs also take other prescriptions, a personalized medication plan is essential to prevent uncomfortable side effects or interactions. 

Our skilled nursing team can administer your child’s medications on a specific schedule and educate them about potential side effects. In the event of an allergic reaction or other emergency, we can even take them to the hospital.

Mobility and gradual return to activity

Movement is an important part of surgical recovery. Lying or sitting for too long can increase the risk of blood clots and stiffness, so we encourage the teens in our care to stay active when appropriate.  

Our nurses can work alongside our skilled physical therapists to create a personalized movement plan involving walking and other activities to support healing.

Emotional support and reassurance

Surgical recovery is a time-consuming and often boring process. This is especially true for teenagers. Our nurses understand this and provide emotional support and engaging activities to lift spirits and help prevent feelings like frustration and anxiety.

Learn more about skilled nursing care for your teen

If your child is currently recovering from or preparing to undergo surgery, contact the nearest Little Angels Pediatric Extended Care office in Orlando, Apopka, or Longwood, Florida. We’d be happy to explain our skilled nursing services and see if we can support your teen’s recovery.

To get started, call or book your appointment online today.