Nursing Consultation on Anxiety of Patient's Family in Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit

Background and Objective: Anxiety is the most common psychological reaction of the families of the patients in cardiac surgery intensive care unit (CSICU). Since nursing consultation is an approach to controlling anxiety, we aimed to determine its effect on anxiety of the patients' families in CSICU. Material and Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on fifty-four family members, of the patients in CSICU of a hospital in Kurdkoy, Iran, allocated into intervention and control groups. For intervention group, nursing consultation program was carried out from admission to discharge while for control group just routine was performed. The data was collected via a demographic checklist and state- anxiety Spielberger inventory, and analyzed by chi-square, independent and paired t-tests. Results: The results showed that the two groups had similar demographic characteristics. Using independent t-test, their anxiety levels were not significantly different before intervention while they were after intervention. This means that nursing counseling was effective in reducing family's anxiety level (P<۰.۰۰۱). Based on paired t test, there was a significant difference between before and after anxiety in case group (P<۰.۰۱) but in control group the difference was not significant (p>۰.۰۱). Conclusion: Nursing consultation can be helpful in mitigating in family's anxiety in cardiac Surgery intensive care unit.