Nursing intervention to reduce anxiety in the perioperative period in cardiovascular surgery

Abstract

Introduction: Adequate nursing intervention can improve postoperative outcomes by reducing anxiety.

Objective: To develop a personalized nursing intervention to reduce anxiety during the preoperative period of people requiring cardiovascular surgery at the Medical and Surgical Research Center.

Methods: A longitudinal and pre-experimental study was conducted, which included 88 people who attended the Cardiovascular Surgery Service at the Center for Medical and Surgical Research from March 2019 to June 2020. The Trait-State Anxiety Inventory test was applied to measure anxiety. A personalized nursing intervention was performed. Initial and final results were compared and expressed in absolute numbers, percentages and average. The Chi square test was applied to the qualitative variables and the Student test for independent means to the quantitative variables.

Results: Men (57.9 %) with a mean age of 57.73 ± 11.9 years predominated. After the nursing intervention, anxiety was reduced by 36.6% (p = 0.000). No association was found between post-intervention anxiety and stay, although postoperative complications were significantly reduced (p = 0.008).

Conclusions: The nursing intervention decreased anxiety and was significantly associated with fewer complications.