Abstract:
The objective of this quasi-experimental two groups pre-posttest design was to investigate the effect of the educative-supportive nursing program on oral care and oral mucositis in the head and neck cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Thirty-five purposive sample groups in Chulabhorn Hospital were divided into 2 groups. The control group was received standard nursing care as usual, whereas the experimental group participated the educative-supportive nursing program for 3 months. The instruments consisted of demographic data sheet, oral care behavior questionnaire and oral mucositis recording form. Data were analyzed by Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U Test, Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test, Fishers Extract Test, Independent t-test and Chi-Square.
The result revealed that after the program, the oral care behaviors of the experimental group were significantly higher scores than before the program and significantly higher scores than control group (p<.05). Oral mucositis as evaluated by rate, duration and severity showed that the experimental group had significantly different from the control group (p<.05). While the onset day of the oral mucositis showed that no significantly different