Effectiveness of Self-Care Training on the Hope of Hemo-dialysis Patients

Inadequate knowledge of self-care in hemodialysis patients deteriorates the condition of their disease and reduces their life expectancy. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the effect of self-care program training on hope among hemodialysis patients referring to Tohid Hospital in Sanandaj, in 2021.

In the present quasi-experimental study, all patients who met the inclusion criteria were selected by the census method and then placed in two intervention and control groups. A demographic form and the Herth Hope Index were recorded in both groups before and one month after the intervention. The intervention included three face-to-face educational sessions about hemodialysis, drug treatment, fluid intake, and diet, which were provided during hemodialysis. Patients in the control group received the necessary care according to routine. The data were analyzed in SPSS16 software using paired t-test, independent t-test, and Chi-square tests.

The findings of the study showed that the mean hope score was 17.86±2.31 in the intervention group and 17.87±1.89 in the control group before the intervention (t=-1.817, P=0.710), demonstrating that both groups had poor hope levels. However, after the intervention, the mean score of hope was obtained at 20.16±4.43 in the intervention group and 17.96±2.41 in the control group, which had a statistically significant difference (t=1.493, P<0.001).

Self-care training leads to increased awareness and improvement of the quality of care in patients and increases their hope. Therefore, improving the level of self-care in patients should always be a part of nursing care.