Effect of structured preparation for transfer on patient anxiety on leaving coronary care unit

This study compared the effect of teaching methods on patient anxiety after leaving the coronary care unit. Twenty myocardial infarction patients were studied; half received from the investigator structured pretransfer teaching designed to orient them to differences in the environment and care in the progressive unit. All subjects received unstructured pretransfer teaching by CCU nurses. Data were analyzed using a two-tailed t test for independent groups with a .05 alpha. As measured by a psychological questionnaire, no statistical differences were found in patient anxiety between groups at the time of transfer. However, the anxiety level of subjects who received structured pretransfer teaching was significantly lower than the anxiety level of control subjects on each of four physiological parameters measured: systolic blood pressure the day and time of transfer and heart rates the day and time of transfer. An indication exists, therefore, that a structured pretransfer teaching program is a more appropriate type of nursing intervention than an unstructured one.