The specific aim of this proposal is to examine the efficacy of a variety of nursing intervention programs designed to facilitate the recovery of patients who have undergone Cesarean deliveries. It is hoped that the outcome of this project will be development of an intervention program that results in decreased pain and anxiety, improved satisfaction, reduction of medication usage, more rapid ambulation, and a shorter hospital stay in patients undergoing this type of surgery. Two experimental studies are proposed to assess the effects of sensory description (SD), pleasant imagery (PI), coping instructions (CI), and a combination of SD, PI, and CI on patients' recovery from Cesarean surgery. Primiparous and multiparous volunteers will be recruited.
