Why you should read this article:

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To understand the principles behind enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS)

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To familiarise yourself with the benefits of ERAS in people with colorectal cancer

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To increase your knowledge of the role of nurses in providing ERAS

Patients with colorectal cancer may require colorectal surgery as part of their treatment. Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is an evidence-based multimodal pathway that improves patients’ outcomes by attending to specific aspects of patients’ needs from pre-admission to post-discharge. This article reports findings of a non-systematic review of the literature on ERAS in the context of patients undergoing colorectal surgery. Evidence suggests that ERAS improves patients’ outcomes by decreasing post-surgical complications and therefore reducing length of stay in hospital. The article also discusses how nurses are fundamental to the implementation of an ERAS pathway.