Effectiveness of Self-Care Education on the Enhancement of the Self-Esteem of Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis

INTRODUCTION & AIM: The assessment of self-esteem in hemodialysis people is becoming increasingly important and necessary .Low self-esteem as a problem in patients undergoing hemodialysis decreases adherence to treatment. The researcher intends to carry out a study in order to investigate the effect of self-care education on enhancement of the self-esteem of patients undergoing hemodialysis in Iran.

METHOD & MATERIAL: This is a quasi-experimental study. The subjects of the study who were selected based on purposive sampling method consisted of 50 patients with advanced chronic renal disease treated with hemodialysis. Before the intervention, two questionnaires were completed by patients. There was no intervention in the control group and the patients received only routine care in the hospital. In the experimental group, the hemodialysis patients received 5 consecutive one-hour training sessions by the researcher. Then the Rosenberg scale was filled out by the patients 2 month later.

RESULT: According to the results, Paired t-test showed a significant difference between the mean self-esteem score in both groups before and after intervention.

CONCLUSION: Increasing the knowledge and awareness of hemodialysis patients must constitute a cornerstone of therapy and an integral part of nursing responsibili­ties. Nurses should educate the patients about self-care behaviors and remind them of the dangerous complica­tions of abandoning these.