Abstract:
The purpose of this experimental research was to study the effect of providing concrete-objective information before the first visit to intensive care unit on maternal anxiety. Sixty-one mothers of pediatric patients in intensive care unit, Ramathibodi hospital were randomly assigned to the experimental (n=30) and the control group (n=31). Prior to the first visit to the intensive care unit, the concrete-objective information was provided to mothers in the experimental group. The information included physical sensation and symptoms, temporal characteristics, environmental features, and cause of sensation, symptoms and experiences. Maternal anxiety was measured by the State Anxiety Inventory Thai version (1983). Data were analyzed by frequency, percentage, means, standard deviation and t-test. The anxiety of mothers receiving concrete - objective information before the first visit to the pediatric intensive care unit was found significantly decreased more than that of mothers receiving routine nursing care, at the statistical level of .05.