The Reality of Learning Self-Care Needs during Hospitalization : Patients ’ and Nurses ’ Perceptions

Abstract

Problem Statement: While patient education promotes compliance with treatment regimen and self-care ability, shorter hospital length of stay, anxiety, illness or sleep disorders can interfere with learning. However, it has not been determined how realistic it is to learn during the short hospitalization, from the perspective of nurses and patients. The aim of this study is to determine the perceived reality of learning self-care needs by congestive heart failure (CHF), from the perspective of patients and nurses. Method: A descriptive- comparative study approach was used. Two hundred fifty-one CHF patients were recruited by convenience sampling. One hundred eighty-one nurses were selected by numerations in Tehran Cardiac Hospital of Shahid Rajaee. Data were collected using the reality part of the Congestive Heart Failure Patient Learning Needs Inventory (CHFPLNI) and were analyzed using SPSS- 11. Results: Patients and nurses rated the subscale of Other Information as the most realistic self-care need to learn during hospitalization and agreed upon the reality of Medication as the third most important. There was no agreement on the rank of the subscales of Diet and Risk Factors. Patients and nurses perceived the subscales of Activity, Psychological and Anatomy and Physiology as the least realistic self-care needs to learn. Patients rated Medication (0.000), Diet (P=0.000), Other Information (P=0.001) and the total scale (P=0.000) as more realistic than nurses rated the same information areas. Learning of CHF self-care needs was perceived more realistic by female nurses (P=0.012) and nurses with advanced preparation (P=0.000) than others. Discussion: The findings suggest that perhaps nurses do a disservice to patients by postponing educational content based on the assumption that it is not realistic for patients to learn their self-care needs. Conclusion: Although learning barriers are present during hospitalization, this study supports the notion that hospitalization may be a motivator and opportunity for obtaining necessary information regarding one’s disease. This study determined the self-care needs of CHF patients that are the most realistic to be learned during hospitalization.