STRESS-COPING EXPERIENCES OF HEART SURGERY PATIENTS IN TAIWAN (EMOTIONAL REACTIONS).
Contributors: Rush University, College Of Nursing.
Published: 1991
Number of pages: 210
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purpose of this study is to explore the life coping experiences of heart surgery patients in Taiwan. Thirty-seven hospitalized patients were included in the study. A descriptive, qualitative approach was used to detect the grounded coping experiences of these patients.

A semistructured, in depth interview using an interview guide was performed before the patient was discharged. Sociodemographic and medical data were collected. The interview content was transcribed into a narrative protocol for data analysis.

Heart surgery was perceived by the patients as a stressful experience. Nine sources of stressors were identified. Patients used a variety of efforts to deal with these stressors. Seventeen coping strategies were identified from among the patient's coping repertoire. Some coping strategies were related to the Taiwanese culture while other strategies were culturally nonspecific. Emotional reactions and physical symptoms were identified as part of the stress coping encounter.

Examination of the relationships among all variables indicated that cardiac valve surgery patients used more coping strategies than did coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) subjects. A further analysis of the individual items indicated that subjects with higher education used the transfer of attention strategy more than did subjects with middle or lower levels of education to deal with the stress of heart surgery. Fewer subjects with lower educational level identified "letting go" as a coping strategy than did those with higher educations. Subjects with lower level education identified physical limitations as stressors more often than did subjects with middle or high levels of education.

Increasing age was related to decreasing number of stressors identified per subject. More younger patients (age less than 50) identified physical limitation and other stressors such as family and work-related stressors than did subjects above age 50. Age was also a significant factor with respect to physical symptoms such as sweating, fever, chill and coolness at the extremities. More valve patients used repression than did CABG patients. Women were found to be more worried about heart surgery than were men.

Understanding, caring and supportive nursing interventions with attention paid to cultural diversity helped the patients better cope with the stress of heart surgery.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-04, Section: B, page: 1955.

Thesis (D.N.SC.)--RUSH UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE OF NURSING, 1991.

School code: 0591.