Trust in nurses and its association with medication adherence of cardiovascular patients: A descriptive correlational study

Medication adherence plays an important role in managing cardiovascular diseases. Trust in nurses may be effective in enhancing medication adherence in patients with cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between trust in nurses among cardiac patients and their medication adherence and explore the predictors of medication adherence. This descriptive correlational design was conducted among "302" cardiac patients hospitalized at XXX Heart Center affiliated with XXX. Data was gathered using a demographic characteristics questionnaire, Medication Adherence Scale, and Trust in Nurses’ Scales. Data was analyzed using descriptive (frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, median, and descriptive tables) and inferential (Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney, Spearman correlation coefficient, and quartile regression) statistics. Data was gathered from October 2023 to January 2024. The data was analyzed using SPSS software ver.21. The mean and standard deviation of medication adherence and trust in nurses were 91.6±6.9 and 10.5±3.9, respectively. A significant positive correlation was found between trust in nurses and medication adherence(r=0.61). There was a significant difference in medication adherence based on the type of disease. So that, the median medication adherence was the highest for coronary artery patients and the lowest for hypertensive patients. The results of quartile regression analysis showed that trust in nurses and type of disease are the main predictors of medication adherence (R 2 =20 %.) The results indicated that medication adherence among cardiovascular patients was moderate and patients' trust in nurses was less than average. Considering the type of disease as an unmodifiable variable, trust in nurses was the main modifiable factor that plays an important role in increasing medication adherence of cardiovascular patients. Therefore, appropriate strategies such as teaching communication skills to nurses, and training and attracting interested individuals with high communication skills should be taken to enhance patients' trust in nurses.