Saudi myocardial infarction patients’ learning needs: Implications for cardiac education program

Background Providing information for myocardial infarction patients is an important nursing function and is part of the role of health-care professionals delivering cardiac education. It is essential to acknowledge and incorporate the self-perceived needs of patients into the information they receive. Hospital stays are becoming shorter, reducing the opportunities for nurses to provide pre-discharge information to patients. This highlights the challenge of adequately assessing and meeting patients' Learning needs. Aims and objectives To explore the Learning needs of patients who have received treatment for a myocardial infarction before their hospital discharge. Also, to examine differences in learning needs among patients according to their demographic characteristics. Materials and methods A descriptive, cross-sectional, design was used to answer the research questions. A convenient sample of 55 patients interviewed in a coronary care unit at large north-western hospital in Saudi Arabia. Cardiac Patients Learning Needs Inventory (CPLNI) was used to collect data. Results Information about risk factors, anatomy and physiology, and medication were the most valued information by MI patients prior to discharge. There was a statistically significant difference between patients' total learning needs according to their socio-demographic characteristics. Younger patients needed more information than older ones. Highly educated patients needed more information than those in the uneducated group. Conclusion This study suggests that MI patients have high learning needs within 24–48 h before hospital discharge. In addition, patients' learning needs vary according to their demographic characteristics. Relevance to clinical practice Assessment of MI patients' information needs before their discharge from hospital helps in developing effective cardiac educational programme that will help these patients in their recovery at home.