Date of Award

Fall 1983

Document Type

Thesis - Restricted

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

McLane, Audrey M.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of Progressive Relaxation on postoperative comfort levels during a subject's first attempt at getting out of bed. The study was conducted on a general surgery ward, and orthopedic ward and in the surgical intensive care unit of an 1800 bed general medical, surgical and psychiatric hospital. The subjects were 38 male patients who did not have a psychiatric history but who required postoperative care. Nineteen patients received preoperative teaching and training in Progressive Relaxation while the remainder of the patients were the control group and received preoperative teaching followed by a question and answer period. Comparisons of blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate prior to surgery and after the first attempt to get out of bed were reported. Reports of surgical pain and body distress were measured using Johnson's Pain and Distress Scale. Reports of pain intensity were measured using Stewart's Pain-Color Scale. It was hypothesized that patients who receive training in Progressive Relaxation and who utilize it immediately before their first attempt to get out of bed, would report a decrease in perceived pain, pain intensity and body distress as compared with patients who receive a standard preoperative instruction followed by a question and answer period. A multivariate analysis of variance was used to test this hypothesis. Study results indicated decreased distress in patients taught Progressive Relaxation and receiving injectable narcotics within three hours of getting out of bed.

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