Card sort: identification of the educational needs of congestive heart failure patients from the patients' and nurses perspective [a suggested teaching plan]

The objective of this study was to identify and prioritize the educational needs of congestive heart failure [CHF] patients and to compare the perceived educational needs from the patients' and nurses' perspective and propose a suggested teaching plan. The study was conducted over three months in the Cardiology and Medical units of El- Mania University Hospital. The study included a sample of 30 CHF patients [7 females and 23 males] and 30 nurses. The patients were literate with a definite diagnosis of CHF. The tools for data collection included the sociodemographic and medical data sheet for patients and nurses and the card sort techniques, which were used to rank the order of importance of the educational topics related to heart failure. The study concluded that CHF patients may differ from each other as regards their educational needs. Nurses should consider each patient's educational need. The card sort method is a suitable and easy tool for use to identify the patients' educational needs. It can be used in an outpatient setting. An integral part of the teaching and discharge plan should involve preparing the patient for home care. Prior to patient's discharge, the nurse should make sure that each patient could get all his/her educational needs

relationship between pre-operative anxiety and post operative pain

A correlational study was conducted to investigate the relationship between preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain among patients undergoing abdominal surgery. A sample of 50 patients [29 males and 21 females] were included in the study. Data were collected through the use of a modified Taylor anxiety test to measure preoperative anxiety level, and a modified McGill pain questionnaire to measure postoperative pain level. The study tested two major hypotheses. Firstly, a positive relationship between preoperative anxiety level and postoperative pain was detected, secondly, a significant difference in the correlation coefficient between preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain regarding age and sex of patients was presented. The major results of the study supported the first hypothesis, as well as the second hypothesis regarding to sex of patients but not in relation to age of patients. The study concluded that the higher the preoperative anxiety level, the higher the post- operative pain level among patients undergoing abdominal surgery. The study emphasized the role of the nurse as an educator and as a counsellor to prepare patients preoperatively