Structured Psychological Nursing Combined with Group Health Education for Patients Receiving Blood Purification.

ABSTRACT

Context Patients with ESRD undergoing blood purification still face various challenges, including psychological distress, lack of comprehensive understanding of their disease, and suboptimal health outcomes. Effective interventions for such patients are of paramount significance. Objective: The study intended to assess the benefits of structured psychological nursing combined with group health education for patients undergoing blood purification. Design: The research team conducted a randomized controlled trial. Setting: The study took place at Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital in Xianyang, China. Participants: Participants were 96 patients at the hospital who were undergoing blood purification between May 2020 and March 2022. Interventions: The research team randomly assigned participants to one of two groups (1) the study group, who received structured psychological nursing + group health education, and (2) the control group, who received routine nursing. Outcome Measures: At baseline and postintervention, the research team evaluated (1) disease cognition, using the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale (MUIS-A); (2) negative emotions, using the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS); (3) blood purification adequacy rate and nutritional status qualified rate; and (4) complication rate. Results: Postintervention, the intervention group's (1) disease uncertainty, complexity, lack of disease information, and unpredictability were significantly lower than those of the control group (all P < .001); (2) SDS and SAS scores were significantly lower than those of the control group (both P < .001); (3) blood purification adequacy rate (P = .049) and nutritional status qualified rate (P = .037) were significantly higher than those of the control group; and (4) incidence of complications was significantly lower than that of the control group (P = .045). Conclusions: Group health education and structured psychological nursing for patients undergoing blood purification can effectively alleviate negative emotions, enhance disease cognition, improve blood purification adequacy and nutritional status, and reduce complication risk.