The Effect of Counseling and Sleep Mask Application in Coronary Intensive Care Patients on Sleep Quality and Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Study

Objective:Patients in the coronary intensive care unit most of them have sleep problems. Intensive care nurses should regularly review patients’ sleep patterns and identify strategies that promote sleep. Intensive care nurses are in a unique position to provide direct support to cardiac patients regarding physiological and psycho-social risk factors. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of eye mask application and anxiety reduction counseling on sleep quality and anxiety in the coronary intensive care unit.Materials and Methods:This is a single-center prospective randomized controlled clinical study. 50 patients in the intervention group were allowed to wear eye masks during sleep at night and counseling was provided to reduce their anxiety. 50 patients in the control group received routine cardiological treatment. Research data were evaluated with the Richards-Campbell Sleep Scale, the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and the “Numeric Rating Scale”. Data were analyzed using the statistical program SPSS (22.0).Results:Sleep quality score (intervention group: 316.40±148.42, control group: 291.80±149.29) differed between the groups, but it was not statistically significant (t=0.826, p=0.411). However, the difference between the anxiety scores (intervention group: 11.44±8.74, control group: 15.38±10.49) was statistically significant (t=-2.040, p=0.044).Conclusion:Eye mask application supported the sleep of the patients in the coronary intensive care unit and was recommended for patients who wanted to use an eye mask. Nurses were advised to answer and support their patients' questions through counseling