Coronary artery bypass grafting: social support for patients and their significant others

BACKGROUND: Patients and significant others may experience physical and psychological stress symptoms during the recovery time from coronary artery bypass surgery. It has been shown that social support is associated with health and well-being in various situations. It is important to study how patients and significant others describe the social support received. AIM AND OBJECTIVE: To describe social support for bypass surgery patients and their significant others from the social network and nurses during hospitalization and the association between demographic variables and support received from nurses. DESIGN: A descriptive study using a questionnaire. This was a pilot study. METHOD: Questionnaires were mailed to 146 subjects and 103 responded. The questionnaires included background variables, the Social Support from the Social Network Scale and the Support from Nurses during Hospitalization Scale. RESULTS: In most cases, the spouse, children and friends were the major sources of support for patients and significant others. Patients reported equal amounts of both affect and aid or concrete support while significant others reported the highest level of affect and the lowest level of affirmation from the social network. Patients and significant others reported the highest level of affirmation and the lowest level of aid from nurses during hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: Relatives are important sources of support for bypass surgery patients and their significant others. Patients reported higher levels of all types of social support from both the social network and nurses than did significant others. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The provision of nursing support for significant others can be enhanced by focusing nursing care on the whole family. This would promote the health of the whole family.