ABSTRACT
Background: After sustaining severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), most patients suffer both physical and mental disabilities. Caregivers of those critically ill patients have to deal with crises not only from unexpected injury, but also from difficult situations in giving care to them. The preparation program (PP) which assists caregivers to cope by enhancing the participation in care during intensive episode is needed. Objective: To examine differences between mean coping scores of TBI patients’ caregivers who received the PP and those receiving the usual nursing care. Methods: A quasi-experimental research design was conducted. The sample included 40 caregivers of ICU patients with severe TBI, 20 for a control group and 20 for an experimental group, was recruited. The Preparation Program (PP) implemented in the experimental group was developed based on an extensive review of related literature. The Thai version of the Coping and Adaptation Processing Scale–Short Form (TCAP-SF) was administered before and after the training of caregivers with PP to determine their coping abiility. Data were analyzed using Chi-square and t-test. Results: Caregivers who received the PP had a higher mean of coping score (X= 98.50, SD = 8.32) than those receiving the usual care did (X= 79.55, SD = 12.20) at p <.001. Conclusion: Caregivers were able to cope better after receiving the PP. The PP facilitated them to deal with a crisis episode of a family member with TBI in the ICU by getting more participation in their care. However, the coping of caregivers after patient discharge from the ICU to ward and after returning home should be evaluated.
ABSTRACT
Background: After total knee arthroplasty, adequate management of postoperative pain and anxiety without adverse side effects is improving advanced patients’ outcomes. Objective: This study aimed to examine the effects of guided imagery on postoperative pain and state anxiety in total knee arthroplasty patients. Methods: The study employed a quasi-experimental research design. The sample consisted of 64 patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty divided into two groups, with 32 subjects in each group. The subjects in the control group received routine nursing care, whereas those in the experimental group received routine nursing care plus guided imagery therapy. Outcome measures were the numeric rating scale for pain score and the State Anxiety Inventory for anxiety score. Results: The experimental group had significantly lower scores of pain and anxiety than the control group (p-value = .0035 and .012 respectively). Conclusion: Guided imagery is an alternative treatment that can be used to supplement pharmacological treatment to effectively reduce pain and anxiety in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty.