The Open-Heart Experience: Stress Reduction Nursing Actions from the Adult Cardiac ICU Patient Perspective

The purpose of this quantitative, descriptive study was to identify nursing actions and environmental factors in the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) that increased stress levels from the perspective of adult patients who have undergone open heart surgery. In this study, participants completed a 24-question revised ICUESS utilizing a four-point Likert scale and one open-ended question requesting patient perspectives of nursing actions that lessened or heightened their stress levels while in the CICU. Based on the results from the ICUESS, the top three stressors in patients following open-heart surgery were (1) pain, (2) uncomfortable bed or pillow, and (3) not having treatments explained. Poor bedside manner, lack of communication, and more specific nursing actions were themes that emerged from the qualitative data. There is a paucity in the literature surrounding factors that, from the patient’s perspective, increase stress following open-heart surgery, and this study’s methodology aimed to close that gap.