Abstract:
This quasi-experimental research aimed to study the effects of preparatory information, based on the self-regulation theory of Leventhal and Johnson, on patients responses undergoing cardiac catheterization, concerning fear, pain, distress, pulse rate, and blood pressure. The subjects were hospitalized patients who were scheduled to have their first cardiac catheterization at the cardiac catheterization laboratory, cardiac center, Police General Hospital. Sixty subjects were selected by purposive sampling. The first thirty subjects were in a control group receiving the usual information from ward nurses and cardiac catheterization laboratory nurses. The rest were in an experimental group receiving the preparatory information from the researcher in addition to the usual information. The preparatory information was provided through 16 minutes of videotape entitled When You Have To Receive Cardiac Catheterization which included the procedural, sensory, and behavioral information about cardiac catheterization. The preparatory information was given the day before cardiac catheterization. The researcher collected data by using Heikkilas visual analogue scale of fear to measure the patients fear of cardiac catheterization before and after receiving the information. Johnsons two component scales were used to measure the patients pain and distress in cardiac catheterization after finishing the procedure. The automatic electronic vital signs monitor was used to measure the pulse rate and blood pressure the day before, during, and after cardiac catheterization. The results showed that both the control and experimental groups had no statistically significant difference in mean score of fear in cardiac catheterization after receiving information, mean score of pain and distress in cardiac catheterization, mean pulse rate and blood pressure during cardiac catheterization (p >.05). These results did not support the validity of Leventhal and Johnson s self-regulation theory.