Self-healing in post cardiac surgery patients: A qualitative study

Abstract

Background/Purpose: Physiological, psychological, and social stressors remained in post cardiac surgery patients and impacted their quality of life. Self-healing, an intrinsic healing capacity, improve and restore patients' welfare and quality of life after illness. The concept has not been applied in cardiac surgery postoperative care. Integrating the concept of self-healing in nursing may improve the quality of care. Methods: For this exploratory qualitative study, 8 patients had been undergone cardiac surgery were recruited. Data were collected through purposive sampling and semi-structured, audio-recorded face-to-face interviews. Narratives were analyzed using Giorgi's five-step method. Results: Three themes emerged from the data: “Injured from the disease”, “image of health” and “strategies for self-healing”. “Injured from the disease” described the remembrance of physical and psychological distress due to cardiac disease and its treatment. “Image of health” encompassed cognitions related to the concepts of health and self-healing. “Strategies for self-healing” described how interviewees developed their own methods for promoting health, including following a healthy diet, engaging in healthpromoting activities and adhering to professional recommendations. Conclusion: Self-healing is a concept to help patients restore their well-being and intrinsic homeostasis. Integrating the concept of self-healing into postcardiac surgery care has the potential to optimal health outcome.