title: Spouses' perceptions of readiness for discharge after cardiac surgery.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to describe spouses' perceptions of readiness for discharge after a partner's coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. An exploratory design was used to address the research questions. Six weeks after discharge, a nonrandom sample of 67 female spouses responded to open-ended questions about discharge readiness. The data were examined using content analysis. One hundred eighty-six statements were coded from the 67 questionnaires. Forty-two women (62%) reported they felt prepared for discharge. Four key people were identified as very helpful to spouses at discharge: nurse, physician, immediate family member, and friends who have had the same experience. Availability of social support, use of coping strategies, personal resources, and knowing what to expect were the major factors that influenced spouses perceptions of readiness for discharge.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202.
authors.forename: N T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Artinian
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires