Effect of nursing care based on watson's human caring model on dyspnea management, anxiety and quality of life in palliative care patients

OBJECTIVE: The research was designed as a controlled experiment to determine the effect of nursing care based on Watson's Human Caring Model (HCM) on dyspnea management, anxiety, and quality of life in palliative care patients. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The research was conducted between September 2017 and June 2018 in Palliative Care Units of Sakarya Education and Research Hospital Korucuk Campus, Sakarya Akyazı State Hospital and Sakarya Hendek State Hospital. A total of 64 patients, 32 in the control group and 32 in the intervention group, constituted the sample of the study. The data of the study were collected using patient information form, visual analog scale (VAS), modified Borg scale, medical research council dyspnea scale (MRCS), Beck's anxiety scale (BAS), hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), SF-36 quality of life scale and patient perception of hospital experience with nursing (PPHEN). FINDINGS: Secondly measured VAS median scores, secondly measured modified Borg scale median score, secondly measured MRCS median scores, secondly measured Beck's anxiety scale median scores and secondly measured HADS median scores were significantly lower in the intervention group of nursing care provided based on HCM compared to the control group (p<0.05). Secondly measured mental and physical dimension median scores of SF-36 scale were significantly higher in the intervention group than those of in the control group (p<0.05). The level of satisfaction of nursing care (secondly measure PPHEN median scores) in the patients was found to be significantly higher in the intervention group than that in the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: As a result of the study, it was determined that nursing care based on Watson's HCM decreased the level of dyspnea and anxiety in patients and increased the quality of life and satisfaction of nursing care. Keywords: Anxiety, Dyspnea, Nursing, Palliative care, Quality of life