Effect of Nurse-Led Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program on Dyspnea and Fatigue for Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

Background: Nurse-led pulmonary rehabilitation program is an evidence-based, comprehensive intervention designed to enhance long-term compliance to health-promotion behaviors, thus improving the physical and psychological condition and quality of life of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the nurse-led pulmonary rehabilitation program on dyspnea and fatigue for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease through 1) Assess of patients' health status 2) Develop and implement a nurse-led pulmonary rehabilitation program based on patients' needs.3) Evaluate the effect of nurse-led pulmonary rehabilitation programs on patients' outcomes regarding the severity of dyspnea and fatigue among studied patients. Design: A quasi-experimental research design was utilized for the conduction of this study. Setting: This study was conducted at the chest department and Outpatient clinics at Ain shams University Hospital. Sample: A purposive sample of 86 adult patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was selected and randomly divided into two equal groups (study & control groups, 43 for each one). Tools: four tools were used in this study; Patients structured interview questionnaire, Observational Checklist, Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale, and Fatigue Severity Scale. The findings of this study revealed that majority of the study group in post and follow up had satisfactory level of knowledge, competent level of performance, grade 2 for their level of breathlessness with activity. Meanwhile, they had a decreased level of fatigue severity. The study concluded that there was a highly statistically significant improvement of patient knowledge, practice, as well as, decreasing dyspnea and fatigue severity for the study group in the post and follow-up program implementation. This study recommended that further research studies are needed to develop systemically continuous self-management programs for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease as ameans for improving the health status of those patients.