Development of Nursing Practice Guidelines for Discharge Planning of Patients with Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI).

Abstract

      The objective of this action research was to develop nursing practice guidelines for discharge planning in patients with Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI) and to examine the effects of using these guidelines on self-care behaviors and readmission rates. The study was conducted in four stages: 1) identifying problems and situations, 2) developing nursing practice guidelines, 3) testing the guidelines, and 4) evaluating the results. The sample consisted of two groups: 20 professional nurses and 22 NSTEMI patients. The tools used included 1) nursing practice guidelines for discharge planning, 2) a self-care behavior assessment, 3) a record of readmission within 28 days post-discharge, and 4) an evaluation of nurses' opinions on the use of the guidelines. Data were analyzed using mean, percentage, standard deviation, and Paired sample t-test statistics.

      The results revealed that after using the nursing practice guidelines for discharge planning, no patients were readmitted within 28 days. The average self-care behavior level was rated as good (mean = 4.42, SD = 0.34), and it significantly improved compared to before the implementation of the guidelines (P < 0.000). The assessment of nurses’ perceived feasibility of using the guidelines showed the highest average rating (mean = 4.45, SD = 0.36).