Tailored nurse-led education to enhance self-care for patients with heart failure and acute kidney injury

Background

Although the association between acute kidney injury and heart failure has recently become understood, the patient’s recognition of this relationship is still deficient. The least impact of heart failure on kidney functioning may attributed to promoted patient perception and self-care.

Aims

To identify the impact of heart failure nurse-led education on the perception and self-care behaviours of heart failure patients suffering from acute kidney injury.

Methods

A pre-test-post-test intervention design was implemented. Perception of cardio-renal disease and self-care behaviours were assessed before and after conducting a brief nurse-led educational program focusing on self-care management for heart failure and its association with renal disease using the “Visual Learners” learning model.

Results

A total of fifty patients completed the study. The mean age of the patients was 51.16 years, and 58.0 % were males. The pre-test assessment revealed a moderate deficit in perception and self-care behaviours. However, education improved patients’ perception (t: 3.65, df: 49, SE: 0.34, p < 0.001, CI: 0.61 − 2.19), and self-care behaviours (t: 8.66, df: 49, SE: 1.05, p < 0.001, CI: 7.02 − 11.18). Analysis of covariance suggested that the educational program explained more than 68 % of these improvements.

Conclusion

Providing nurse-led education on self-care behaviours for heart failure patients promoted patients’ recognition of the association of disease with the development of kidney injury.