Abstract
Bariatric patient care requires a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to maximize outcomes and reduce complications and risk. The understanding of nursing theory helps the provider to conceptualize nursing care in the context of a comprehensive framework. The middle-range Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms (TOUS) encompasses three major components: the symptoms an individual is experiencing, the three types of influencing factors affecting the experience, and the consequences of those symptoms, which may affect performance in both cognitive and functional activities. This case study uses the TOUS in the management of a bariatric surgery patient. This is helpful to visualize and understand more clearly the characteristics of the patient's symptoms, how they interact with each other, and how they are affected by physiological, psychological, and situational factors that ultimately impact patient performance.
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