THERAPEUTIC TOUCH AND PRE-OP ANXIETY IN CARDIAC PATIENTS

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The purpose of this project is to test the effectiveness of the nursing intervention of Therapeutic Touch in the reduction of anxiety in preoperative cardiac surgery patients. Specifically, this project seeks to determine the effects of Therapeutic Touch on self evaluation of anxiety; systolic blood pressure and heart rate on subjects awaiting open-heart surgery. An experimental, pretest-posttest design will be utilized. A sample of at least 150 male and female subjects, hospitalized for cardiac surgery on the day following intervention, will be recruited. Subjects will be randomly assigned to one of three intervention groups, namely, Therapeutic Touch, Mimic Therapeutic Touch, or no intervention. Subjects will complete the STAI-XI State Anxiety Questionnaire, and have their blood pressure and heart-rate recorded before intervention; immediately after intervention, and one hour post intervention. Analysis of covariance will be utilized, with pre-test scores as covariants, to test six hypotheses which predict a greater decrease in posttest measures in the Therapeutic Touch group than in the two control groups.