The Effect of Nursing Care Protocol on Health Outcomes of Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth most common cause of death in the world. COPD prevalence, morbidity, and mortality vary across countries and across different groups within countries. Aim: Examine the effect of nursing care protocol on health outcomes of patients with COPD. Study design: A quasi-experimental design was utilized to conduct this study. Setting: The study was conducted at outpatient clinics at Chest Hospital (AL masah ALbahary) in Port Said city. Subjects: A purposive sample of 45 patients with (COPD) disease was included. Methods: four tools were used as follow (1) Patients' assessment sheet. (2) The Bristol COPD Knowledge Questionnaire (BCKQ) sheet. (3) Patients' observational checklists.) (4) Health outcomes assessment sheet. Results: There was improvement in patients' total knowledge scores and all practices post nursing care protocol implementation with highly statistically significance whereas p ≤ 0.001,there were statistically significant difference between mean scores of total mood disturbance, sleep quality and fatigue for patients with COPD pre and post implementation of protocol of nursing care, with significant decrease in mean score whereas p ≤ .001 and there were improvement in level 4 of dyspnea (sever dyspnea) post implementation of nursing care protocol compared to pre nursing care protocol and there was highly statistically significant difference between levels of dyspnea pre and post implementation of nursing care protocol whereas p ≤ .001. Conclusion: Based on the study findings, it is concluded that, application of nursing care protocol for patients with COPD has positive effect on improving their knowledge about COPD and its management, practices related to pursed lip breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, deep breathing exercise, a metered dose inhaler and dry powder inhaler and improving their health outcomes regarding mood, fatigue, sleep quality and dyspnea. Recommendation: Continuous educational program for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease should be applied periodically in order to improve knowledge, practices and health outcomes for those patients.