Effect of Instructional Guidelines on Knowledge, Practice, and Fatigue Level among Patients with Brain Tumors

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Lecturer in Medical-Surgical Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Mansoura University

2 Medical-Surgical Nursing, Nursing College, Badr University in Cairo

3 Assistant professor of Hospital and Nursing Management, Military Medical Academy

4 Lecturer in Medical-Surgical Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Beni-Suef University

Abstract

Fatigue is recognized as one of the most common and distressing adverse effects of cancer disease
and treatment. Educational guidelines are providing general information about fatigue and
introducing new concepts regarding energy conservation, self-care, and confrontation techniques.
Aim was to evaluate the effect of instructional guidelines on knowledge, practice, and fatigue level
among patients with brain tumors. Subjects and method: Design: A quasi-experimental research
design was utilized to fulfill the aim of this study. Setting: the research was conducted in the
neurosurgery department and neurosurgery outpatient clinic of Fayoum Oncology Center. Subjects:
A purposive sample of 50 adult patients was included. Four tools were used: Tool (I) a structured
interview questionnaire, Tool (II) adult patients' knowledge regarding brain tumors, Tool (III) adult
patients' practice regarding brain tumors (pre/post), and Tool (IV) Fatigue assessment scale.
Results: More than half of adult patients were having a family history of cancer. The majority of
adult patients reported that the main source of information regarding their knowledge was doctors.
There was a positive significant correlation (P=0.005) between adult patients' knowledge scores and
their practice post-three months of instructional guidelines implementation. There were highly
significant improvements in adult patients' knowledge and practice regarding brain tumors post
instructional guidelines implementation (P=0.005). Statistical highly significant differences and
reductions were detected between fatigue mean scores pre and post-three-months of instructional
guidelines implementation. Conclusion: The instructional guidelines implementation had a highly
significant positive effect on reducing fatigue level among adult patients with brain tumors.
Recommendations: The instructional guidelines regarding brain tumors should be conducted,
discussed, integrated into the rehabilitation programs, and taught to the adult patients using the
booklet and illustrated pamphlets for each one to improve their information and reduce their fatigue
level and replication of the current study with a larger sample of an adult patient with brain tumors
in different settings is required for generalizing the results

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