[Nursing outcomes classification applicability on patients with self-care deficit bathing/hygiene]

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Orthopedics
• Rehabilitation

Background:

• Hospitalized orthopedic patients often experience self-care deficits, particularly in bathing and hygiene.
• Accurate assessment of self-care abilities is crucial for effective nursing care planning and patient recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the applicability of the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) for assessing self-care deficits in hospitalized orthopedic patients.
• To evaluate the reliability of NOC outcome indicators in measuring patient improvement in bathing and hygiene post-hip replacement surgery.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative, descriptive study involving 25 patients undergoing total hip replacement.
• Data collected using 24 NOC Self-care outcome indicators and a Likert scale (1=dependent to 5=completely independent).
• Observations conducted on the first and third post-operative days during bathing.

Main Results:

• Significant statistical variation in average self-care scores was observed between the first and second bath in 21 out of 25 patients.
• The NOC classification scales demonstrated internal consistency.
• NOC scales proved reliable in measuring patient evolution during nursing care.

Conclusions:

• The Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) is applicable and reliable for assessing and monitoring self-care abilities in orthopedic patients with bathing/hygiene deficits.
• NOC indicators effectively capture patient progress and the impact of nursing interventions.
• This supports the use of NOC in standardizing care and evaluating outcomes in orthopedic nursing.