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Implantation of Total Artificial Heart in Congenital Heart Disease
Published on: July 18, 2014
[Systemic nursing intervention in couples in which one member has cardiac insufficiency]
1Faculté des sciences infirmières, Université de Montréal, Québec. duhamelf@scinf.umontreal.ca
Insights
Chronic heart failure impacts both patients and spouses, affecting marital dynamics. Family systems nursing interventions help couples navigate illness challenges by fostering communication and resourcefulness.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Psychology
- Sociology
Context:
- Chronic heart failure (CHF) significantly impacts patients' spouses.
- Marital relationships face unique challenges during long-term illness.
- Family systems nursing acknowledges the interconnectedness of patient and partner well-being.
Purpose:
- To explore couples' perceptions of how chronic heart failure (CHF) affects marital dynamics.
- To evaluate the helpfulness of family systems nursing interventions in managing CHF within the marital context.
Summary:
- Analysis of three clinical cases revealed three key themes: balancing protectiveness, reassessing the marital relationship, and adopting new coping strategies.
- Family systems nursing interventions, particularly systemic questioning and resource exploration, were perceived as highly beneficial.
- These interventions facilitated shared illness experiences, enhanced understanding of illness-marital dynamics, and promoted adaptive strategies for couples facing CHF.
Impact:
- Provides insights into the psychosocial impact of CHF on marital relationships.
- Highlights the effectiveness of family systems nursing in supporting couples affected by chronic illness.
- Offers a framework for healthcare providers to address the needs of both patients and their partners in managing chronic heart failure.
Abstract:
Chronic heart failure is a family affair since the spouse's quality of life is affected as much as that of the patient. This article deals with three clinical cases exploring the couple's perceptions of how the illness affected their marital relationship and how helpful the family systems nursing interventions have been. Three themes emerged from the analysis of the relationship between the evolution of the illness and the marital dynamics, and these are: a search for a balance between protectiveness/overprotectiveness, a reassessment of the marital relationship, and the adoption of new coping strategies. The family systems nursing interventions that were perceived as the most helpful were the systemic questionf1p4++ and the exploration of the couple's strengths and resources. These interventions allowed the couple to: 1) share their illness experience; 2) increase their understanding of the relationship between the illness and their marital dynamics, and 3) reflect on different ways to enhance their competence and resources in meeting with the challenges of this type of cardiac health problem.
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