DOI

https://doi.org/10.25772/RKWE-EW44

Defense Date

1986

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Linda Lange

Abstract

The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to gather data about the perceived health, anginal symptoms and life satisfaction in CABG and PTCA patients. The study explored the interrelationships among the variables and the differences between the two groups. The problem statement was:

1. How do patients perceive their own past, present and future health, level of anginal symptoms and life satisfaction after CABG and PTCA?

2. What are the interrelationships among perceived health, anginal symptoms and life satisfaction in CABG and PTCA patients.

The conceptual framework for this study was based on the social theory of symbolic interactionism and the nursing model of man-living-health (Parse, 1981). Perceived past, present and future health, anginal symptoms and life satisfaction were measured by the subject's self placement along 100 millimeter analog scales. Data were obtained in a 30 minute interview with each subject at the time of the patient's first follow-up visit to the physician's office four to eight weeks post procedure. Twenty-two percent of the patients (eight patients) who were eligible for inclusion were included in the study.

The means of the scores for perceived health, anginal symptoms and life satisfaction were calculated. The Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance statistic was used to detect statistically significant differences between the two groups of subjects, and graphs were constructed to illustrate the relationships among the variables. Demographic data were subjected to descriptive analysis by group.

The mean scores for the PTCA group were low for the past, only slightly higher for the present, and much higher for the future for all three variables. The mean scores for the CABG group were low for the past and much higher for the present for all three variables. The mean scores for the future were higher for anginal symptoms, but lower for health and life satisfaction for the CABG group. A significant difference was found between the two groups for perceived present health, anginal symptoms and life satisfaction. The mean scores for perceived health, anginal symptoms and life satisfaction assumed a similar curve on a line graph for each group, suggesting a correlation between the variables within the group.

Implications for nursing practice apply at primary and secondary levels of prevention. On the primary level, information obtained in descriptive research aimed at identifying commonly occurring perceptions in the CABG and PTCA patient would allow the nurse to begin intervention in the pre-procedure period by clarifying misconceptions and initiating accurate pre-procedure instruction. On the secondary level of prevention, the nurse can begin clarifying these commonly occurring misconceptions early in the recovery period in an attempt to encourage health-promoting behavior choices based on realistic expectations by the patient. Implications for nursing research and education were related to the addition of new information regarding the perceptions of the CABG and PTCA patient.

Comments

Scanned, with permission from the author, from the original print version, which resides in University Archives.

Rights

© The Author

Is Part Of

VCU University Archives

Is Part Of

VCU Theses and Dissertations

Date of Submission

2-23-2018

Included in

Nursing Commons

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