J Nurs Acad Soc.  1991 Dec;21(3):257-267.

The Effects of Nursing Information on Knowledge, Physical Symptoms, State Anxiety and Daily Activity Levels of Patients Recovering from Open Heart Surgery

• Kim KS
• Rhyu KH

Abstract

The study investigated the effects of nursing information given verbally and a booklet on the knowledge, physical symptoms, anxiety and daily activities of patients recovering from open heart surgery from just before discharge to six weeks after discharge. The convenience sample was of patients who had undergone open heart surgery in Seoul National University Hospital. The first 25 patients who agreed to participate in the study became the control group. They did not receive the intentional information but the usual nursing care. The next 28 patients became the experimental group who received a booklet about their post-discharge care which was discussed with them by the researcher before discharge. This study used a non equivalent group non-synchronized quasiexperimental design. The tool included a 30 items knowledge scale, a 9 item physical symptom scale, Spieberger's state anxiety scale, and a 28 items daily activity scale. The instruments were applied before discharge and at two and six weeks after discharge. For data analysis, frequency, t-test, Pearson's Correlational Coefficient and Cronbach's alpha were used. The results were as follows : 1. Information given through the booklet was effective in increasing the knowledge of patients recovering from open heart surgery. The experimental group's knowledge was higher at 2 weeks after discharge than prior to discharge(P<0.05). 2. There was no significant difference in physical symptoms between the two groups at two and six weeks after discharge. 3. Information given through the booklet was effective in decreasing the State Anxiety two weeks after discharge(P<0.001) but at six weeks after discharge, there was no significant difference in anxiety between the control and the experimental groups. 4. There was no significant difference in daily activity between the two groups at two and six weeks after discharge. 5. There was a negative correlation between knowledge at discharge and at 2 weeks and anxiety at 2 weeks after discharge. There was a positive correlation between knowledge at discharge and daily activity at 2 weeks after discharge. There was a negative correlation between knowledge at 2 weeks and Physical symptom at 6 weeks after discharge.

MeSH Terms

Anxiety*
Heart*
Humans
Nursing Care
Nursing*
Pamphlets
Seoul
Statistics as Topic
Thoracic Surgery*