Evaluation of Registered Nurses’ Knowledge and Confidence in Encouraging Cardiac Surgery Patients to Participate in Digital Education

Abstract

Background: Cardiac surgery remains a necessary means of medical management for cardiac disease. Patient anxiety is a common mental health challenge experienced by cardiac surgical candidates. Preoperative educational videos can reduce anxiety and improve the surgical experience.

Local Problem: This project was conducted for hospital nurses caring for cardiac surgery patients. Cardiac patients are assigned digital education to educate them about their procedures. Regardless of availability, nurse and patient engagement of the material is low. Competing nursing priorities prevent nurses from disseminating education to cardiac surgery patients, thus increasing patient anxiety. Educating nurses on utilizing digital surgery education encourages a standardized approach.

Primary Aim: To improve nursing knowledge of digital cardiac surgery educational materials.

Secondary Aim: To improve cardiac patient and nursing engagement with digital education.

Methods: The Johns Hopkins Evidenced Based Practice model guided the DNP project. The project used a pre-intervention survey to assess nursing knowledge. After receiving education, the nurses were resurveyed to evaluate confidence in using and accessing digital education.

Interventions: The DNP student educated nurses on accessing and utilizing existing pre-operative standardized digital patient education and modeled disseminating education to patients.

Results: Post-survey results reflected a 79% increased engagement of nurses with digital education. Patient engagement in digital education peaked when nurses were educated by the DNP student about educational resources; however, patient engagement declined after completion of the project.

Conclusions: Educating nurses about patient digital education improves nurses’ confidence in utilization and improves patient engagement. For project sustainability, the unit can incorporate digital education into nurse orientation. Nursing orientation and continuing education should include an introduction to digital education and routine updates of relevant information to cardiac surgical patients. The addition of admission questions to assess patient engagement and remind patients to review materials can be implemented. Educating nurses about digital patient education can enhance surgical outcomes and reduce anxiety.