The effect of nursing approach on the management of dyspnea symptom and life quality in the heart failure

This study is carried out experimentally to examine the effect of nursing approach on dyspnea symptom management and life quality in the heart failure.The population of study is composed of 135 patients diagnosed to have heart failure by Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty Emergeny Cardiology Polyclinic and are in the classes III and IV according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA).The sample of study is composed of 60 patients, 30 of which are Experimental Group that have applied to Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty Emergency Cardiology Polyclinic between September 2008-August 2009 with the complaint of dyspnea, are literate, have no visual-hearing impairment, can establish oral communication, have no diagnosed psychological problem, comply with search criteria and accept to join the study voluntarily and 30 of which are Control Group.Patient Information Form, Borg Dyspnea Scale and Cardiac Life Quality Scale were used to collect data.The dyspnea levels of experimental and control group were compared. While the difference between the first (5,33±0,60) and last dyspnea point average (3,30±0,46) of dyspnea of the experimental group is statistically reasonably significant (p=0,000), no significant difference can be determined between the first (5,13±0,77) and the last point average (4,97±0,85) of the control group (p=0,433). While the difference between the dyspnea average of experimental and control group according to the sex, duration of disease, the application to emergency with the complaint of dyspnea in the last one year is statistically reasonably significant (p=0,000), the difference between the class of heart failure and dyspnea point average is not statistically significant (p= 0,935).There is statistically a significant difference (p=0,000) in the first-last life quality point averages of the patients participated in the study whereas there is no statistically significant difference when the life quality point averages are compared (first life quality point is p=0,874 and the last life quality point is p=0,162.)There found to be statistically a reasonably significant difference (p=0,000) according to the point averages of the classes of sex and heart failure and life quality. There found to be a significant difference in all fields of life quality except for family field for the application to the hospital in one year of those whose duration of illness is less than three years, three years and more than three years expect for health and functional status(p=0,000).As a result, the nursing approach related to dyspnea symptom in heart failure confirms the hypothesis by providing decrease in the level of dyspnea and the rise in life quality.Key Words: Dyspnea, heart failure, nursing approach, symptom management, life quality.