Educational needs of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft

Introduction: Cardiac surgery associates with potential physiological, mental, emotional , growth and spiritual consequences due to the existence of many stressful factors. Training and learning patients can minimize risk-creating and stressful factors. Such a learning approach should be designed based on patients’ needs and such needs should be identified by nurses prior to any learning. However, there are rare studies focusing on the identification of patients’ learning needs. Thus, this study aims to determine patients’ awareness of learning needs for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG). Material and Methods: This is a descriptive study carried out within 6 months on 101 cases undergone CABG (36 females and 65 males) in Tabriz Shahid Madani education and treatment center. They were investigated at the time of discharging from ICU and surgery departments. Patients’ needs were determined using Cardiac Patients’ Needs Learning Inventory (CPNLI) tool. Result: According to findings, patients give the most important priority to the drug index. The next learning needs perceived by patients are :"How will my heart be treated?" related to "anatomical and physiological learning needs category", "what kind of activities can be done to reduce heart attack chance?" related to "risk factors learning needs category" and "how patients’ activity level can be increased?" related to "physical activity learning needs category". Conclusion: The prerequisite for implementing any learning program is the investigation and measurement of learning needs. Therefore, before initiating any learning program nurses need to continuously assay learning needs of patients while considering patients’ abilities.