Assessment of hypertensive patients' self-care agency after counseling training of nurses.

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess hypertensive patients' self-care agency and any correlation with the patient's lifestyle changes and the nurse's degree of patient centeredness after counseling training. Nurses in the intervention group (IG; n = 19) working at nurse-led clinics at health centers were trained in patient centeredness (motivational interviewing) and the stages of change model and included 137 patients. Nurses in the control group (CG; n = 14) included 51 patients. The Exercise of Self-Care Agency (ESCA) instrument was used. There was a significant difference from baseline to the 2-year follow-up in the ESCA score (IG, p = .0001). An increase in ESCA score was correlated with an increased level of physical activity after 2 years (IG, p = .0001; CG, p = .040). The counseling training gave an increase in the patients' self-care agency scores, which was significantly correlated with increased physical activity. In clinical practice it is important for nurses to be patient centered in their counseling to affect patients' self-care agency in a positive direction.