Enhancing Awareness regarding Postoperative Care among Patients undergoing Open Heart Surgery

Background: The patient, after open-heart surgery, presents with multiple, rapidly changing clinical problems. Educating the patient is the nurse's responsibility, which is one of the most important aspects of post-open heart surgery. Aim of the study: To enhance awareness regarding postoperative care among patients undergoing open heart surgery. Design: A Quasi-experimental research design was used to achieve the aim of the present study. Setting: The study was conducted at the Cardio-Thoracic Intensive Care Unit at Sohag University Hospital. Patients: A convenient sample of 50 open-heart surgery patients was recruited. Tools: Two tools were used in this study for data collection: Tool I: A structured Interview Questionnaire and Tool II: Patients Biopsychosocial Needs Interview Questionnaire. Results: There were significant differences in the total knowledge mean scores among patients undergoing open heart surgery pre and post-awareness programs. There were highly significant improvements in total Physical needs, psychological needs, and Social Dysfunction of the studied patients at (P= < 0.01) pre and post awareness program. Conclusion: The study concluded that the application of an awareness program has a positive effect on enhancing postoperative care among patients undergoing open heart surgery. Also, there was a significant improvement in the total knowledge level among patients undergoing open heart surgery post awareness program. Recommendations: To increase patient knowledge and lower complications, the open heart surgery awareness program should be carried out, discussed, incorporated into rehabilitation programs, and taught to patients using the booklet and illustrated pamphlets for each patient. The results of the current study must be replicated with a larger sample of patients undergoing heart surgery in various settings to generalize the findings.