Investigation of the Effect of Nurse Counseling With Mechanical Valve Replacement Patients.

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Mechanical valve surgery encompasses the management of complications related to antithrombotic therapy, as well as the complications arising from open-heart surgery. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of personalized counseling on the adherence to anticoagulant treatment, self-efficacy levels, and quality of life (QOL) among patients undergoing mechanical valve replacement surgery. Methods: This study followed an interventional design with both intervention (n = 30) and control (n = 30) groups. Patients in the intervention group received individualized nurse counseling prior to the surgery and for 3 months following the surgery. Patients in the control group received routine care. Data collection involved the utilization of the Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics Form, the Short Form Quality of Life Scale, the Barnason Efficacy Expectancy Scale, and the Anticoagulant Treatment Adherence Scale (ATAS). Results: After 3 months of surgery, patients who received counseling had statistically higher average scores in the Efficacy Expectancy Scale and the ATAS (p < .05). Additionally, providing continuous counseling to postoperative patients for 3 months elevated their self-efficacy levels and increased adherence to the recommended treatment. There were no between-group differences in the subdimensions of the QOL scale before and after discharge. Implications for Practice: It is recommended to provide personalized and individualized counseling covering the preoperative and postoperative processes for patients. Trainings should be repeated, and the contents should be differentiated by considering patient characteristics.