Which of the following is the primary goal of postoperative nursing care?

The primary goal of postoperative nursing care is to promote healing and prevent complications. After surgery, patients are vulnerable to a range of potential complications, including infections, respiratory issues, and thromboembolic events. Nursing care focuses on monitoring vital signs, managing pain effectively, ensuring proper wound care, and encouraging mobility as tolerated, all of which contribute to a patient's recovery and help prevent complications. By prioritizing healing and the prevention of postoperative issues, nursing staff can significantly impact the patient's overall outcomes and facilitate a smoother and safer recovery process.

While minimizing patient mobility and enhancing surgical team performance are important, they do not align directly with the overarching goal of patient safety and recovery. Similarly, following up with the surgical team is part of the collaborative care process, but it is secondary to the direct care needs of the patient during their recovery.