Reference no: EM133926713

Question

Mallory and a team of researchers tested the effects of a psychoeducational nursing intervention on posthospital recovery outcomes following cardiac surgery. The intervention, developed and refined on the basis of a pilot study, was tested in four metropolitan hospitals with a sample of 370 patients. For patients randomly assigned to the intervention group, standard care was supplemented with in-hospital education regarding the physical and emotional aspects of postsurgery recovery, and with 6 weeks of support through telephone follow-up contact. The control group members received standard care only. Detailed notes were maintained during observations of ten of the in-hospital sessions in each hospital. Patient outcomes included the patients' mood, quality of life, and amount of time spent weekly in physical fitness activities six months after surgery. The structured instruments used to measure these outcomes were administered at baseline (before the intervention) and again at 24-26 weeks after discharge in the patients' homes. Statistical analysis revealed that patients in the experimental group had significantly better mood and perceived quality of life than those in the control group six months after discharge and spent more time weekly, on average, in physical fitness activities. A subgroup of 24 patients in the intervention group was.