That nurse must go deeper than the superficiality of "nursing helps people maintain health (Nursing Philosophy it Matters, 2012). "The fight against post-operative wound infections has long been undertaken by practitioners. We appreciate that surgical site infections (SSIs) are frequently caused by bacteria commonly found on the skin. Therefore, reducing the number of bacteria on the skin has been a common preoperative practice. Standards and recommended practices from the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) state preoperative skin preparation of surgical patients should include little or no hair removal, cleansing of the area around the surgical site, and use of an antiseptic agent immediately before the surgical incision" (Ramsey, 2012).

The clinical implications of this practice might be to shave or clip the hair before surgery but there is no evidence that it does or does not reduce infections. It is done to make sure there are no possible infections in order to prevent any law suits or further possible damages. The procedure does not need to be done better, more efficiently, or more cost-effectively because it is done in order to be safe and healthy in a hospital setting, which stakeholders would be happy with the standard procedures.

"Traditionally, patients undergoing surgery have hair removed from the site of the incision, as this is thought to reduce the chance of the surgical site becoming infected. Hair can be removed by several different methods which include shaving, clipping the hair and using a cream which dissolves the hair. Existing research studies are too small and methodologically flawed to allow...

However if hair has to be removed to facilitate surgery or the application of adhesive dressings, clipping rather than shaving appears to result in fewer surgical site infections" (Tanner J, 2011).
Nurses do surgical shaving by using knowledge, skills, values, meanings and ethics so that patient can have a safe and bacteria free surgery. Shaving and trimming is just standard procedure in order to make sure no infections will occur during or after surgery. Therefore, a nurse can provide a comfortable environment to patients in order to give them that encouragement to fight their illnesses and live life.

References

Finkelstein, D.K. (2012, November 28). Surgical Shaving.

Ramsey, C.A. (2012). Preoperative Measures to Prevent Surgical Site Infections. Retrieved November 28, 2012, from Preoperative Measures to Prevent Surgical Site Infections

Shaving the Surgical Area. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2012, from http://micro-reversals.com/shaving-the-scrotum/

Tanner J, N.P. (2011). No evidence that routine preoperative hair removal reduces surgical site infection. Retrieved November 28, 2012, from http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD004122/no-evidence-that-routine-preoperative-hair-removal-reduces-surgical-site-infection

Nursing Philosophy it Matters. (2012). Retrieved November 28, 2012, from Guidelines to Help You Articulate Your Philosophy of Nursing, http://nursing-philosophy.com/2010/01/developing-personal-nursing-philosophy.html