THE CONCEPT OF SELF-CARE IN PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS: A ROGERS EVOLUTIONARY APPROACH

Self – care concept is one of the components of self – care nursing theory. Regarding chronic course of hepatitis, it can cause numerous consequences on various aspects of patient's life. This study aims to clarify the concept of self-care and its attributes, antecedents, and consequences for patients diagnosed with chronic hepatitis This approach has been used to analyze the concept of Rodgers evolution. The literature published between 1989 and 2011 in the care of nursing and non-nursing (health, medicine, etc.) were selected for searching scientific databases. After applying the selection criteria and final sampling, 2 books, 65 articles and a graduate thesis in the area of nursing and non-nursing (health, medicine, etc.) were selected and analyzed. The analysis showed that the concept of self-care is a complex concept and the concept of self-care in patients with hepatitis is a process of conceptual nature, and its self-management, self-monitoring, education and interaction revealed as well. Here are three types of antecedents including the clients (self-efficacy, self-esteem), the system (resources, social and cultural factors), and the care providers (participation). Self-care is very extensive and influenced by personal factors (client) system, and care providers. In this study the concept of self-care outcomes, included stress reduction, increasing of the quality of life, changing lifestyles, increasing knowledge and awareness, increasing patient adaptation and acceptance of the disease. The results showed that the concept of self-care during the last 22 years in chronic patients, especially patients with chronic hepatitis has been evolved. And the nurses have been able to significantly enhance their knowledge in the areas of self-care for their patients, so that nurses care teams could have considerable influence on their patients. As a result, this leads to an increase in the authority and nursing profession independency.