The objective of this research is to examine the recovery process in the elderly after coronary artery bypass surgery. Previous research on adult recovery following cardiac surgery, reports that recovery was influenced by fatigue and for the most part, functional ability did not improve. The little research that specifically addresses the recovery process in the elderly found that recovery was protracted with fatigue persisting longer. The trend of decreasing inpatient length of stay has placed recovery from surgery as an experience that begins with discharge from the hospital. During this post discharge recovery process, the patient lacks accessibility to health care professionals for clarifying cures and seeking information. Therfore the nurse needs to provide anticipatory guidance for the recovery process before discharge from the acute care hospital. Due largely to the limited research on the elderly, the nurse lacks the knowledge of recovery in the elderly. This is a barrier to the designing of effective nursing strategies that would provide valid guidance to foster the positive health changes that can occur following myocardial revascularization.
| Carroll, D L (1995) The importance of self-efficacy expectations in elderly patients recovering from coronary artery bypass surgery. Heart Lung 24:50-9 |
