High risk for ineffective management of therapeutic regimen: a protocol study

In this article, the authors present a protocol study developed to evaluate the usefulness of the nursing diagnosis "high risk for ineffective management of therapeutic regimen" among patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). Nursing interventions for increasing the CHF patient's abilities to perform therapeutic self-care for the promotion and maintenance of a prescribed medication regimen were evaluated based on predicted outcomes. Orem's self-care deficit theory of nursing provided the theoretical framework used in the protocol. Orem's supportive-educative nursing system was the approach used. Knowledge deficit was noted to be a major obstacle to maintaining the prescribed medication regimen among CHF patients. Comprehensive teaching of the patient, supported by a therapeutic nurse-patient relationship, was found to be the most important factor in the promotion and maintenance of a prescribed medication regimen among patients with CHF.