| Summary: | This study was undertaken because a review of the
literature revealed that there had been limited research
pertaining to the learning need of patients with heart valve
replacements.
The focus of the study was to determine what this patient
population perceived their learning needs to be during the
early weeks after hospital discharge, when they occurred,
and how they should be addressed.
Ethical approval for the study was obtained from both the
Vancouver Hospital and The University of British Columbia
ethics approval committees. A descriptive methodology was
used. Henderson’s philosophy of nursing was used to assist
in devising prompts for the semi-structured interview process.
Eighteen patients were recruited from a local teaching hospital
and interviewed in their homes four to then weeks after hospital
discharge. The interviews were taped and transcribed.
Manifest and latent content analysis were used to analyze the data.
The results revealed many of the traditional cardiac learning needs
applied to this patient population including such things as the need
for education related to fatigue, mobility, emotions, activities of daily
living, support and medication, exercises and the resumption of
sexual activity.
However, within these general categories, specific education requirements
related to the valve replacement population were noted.
Information and education was required for such issues as the valve’s
life expectancy, the potential for valve failure, the anticoagulant regimen,
and nutritional requirements.
Participants also expressed valve related fears, and required time to
adjust to these.
The need for social, support was expressed by all participants. It was determined
that single people and women resumed various activities earlier in recovery than
married and male participants.
Participants preferred having their physicians educate them on a one to one basis about the recovery process, and believed post-operative education was
best provided in hospital well before discharge.
Conclusions are drawn and the implications the results have for nursing education, practice, research and of the health care professionals are discussed.
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