A need for health education for kidney transplant patients

Background: Since the first successful transplantation the recipient's quality of life and the length of time in which the transplanted organ functions have significantly improved. It is a close interdisciplinary co-operation of the nephrological unit, of which nurses make an integral part that has a great impact on early and further transplantation results. It is them, who by fulfilling one of their vocational functions-health education of a patient, enable proper co-operation with a patient and ensure better results of their treatment. Proper health education among kidney transplant patients prepares and encourages them to take a better look at their health, prevents complications and consequently loss of the transplanted organ. Therefore, it seems that steady improvement of the quality of patients' health education is of utmost importance.
Material/Methods: A group of 50 kidney transplant patients (17 Female, 33 Male), hospitalized in the Clinic of Nephrology, Transplantology and Internal Diseases of ACK (Academic Clinical Centre) in the Medical University Hospital in Gdansk were examined in the period from January to September 2008. A self-made questionnaire containing 25 questions, divided into three categories, was used as a research tool. The first category dealt with patients' opinion on the purpose of conducting health education, its place and form of such activities. The second touched on topics related to the educating person and the evaluation of effectiveness of his activity. The third category tested patients' knowledge acquired during their education as well as their conviction about its usefulness in everyday life.
Results: As it appears from the responses, all the patients undergoing examination (100%) were convinced about the usefulness of health education for kidney transplant patients. 62% of the examined were in favour of talks with the possibility of asking questions along the talk as the most convenient form of conducting such education. 44% of the respondents were satisfied with such education directly in the sick room; another group of 54% patients expressed their wish to participate in the education together with a close person and 96% of them pointed out a nurse as a health educator. 98% declared knowledge of the principles on taking medicines and the methods of avoiding sources of infections and willingness to follow recommendations given by a nurse during the health education.

Keywords: Kidney Transplant