The Role of the Nurse in Patients on Low Iodine Diet Period

Abstract

In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the role of the nurse in the adaptation of patients with the low iodine diet process after total thyroidectomy. The study was a non-randomized (pre-test post-test) case group intervention study and was conducted with 18 patients who met the inclusion criteria in the Nuclear Medicine Polyclinic of Eskişehir Osmangazi University Health, Application and Research Hospital. The Descriptive Characteristics Data Form, the Patient Follow-up Form (height, weight, blood pressure values of the patients) and the Coping-Adaptation Process Scale were used to collect the data. Approximately 30-45 minutes to the patients included in the study. The ongoing nursing process was applied. On the 7th and 14th days of the low iodine diet, the patients were informed about the subjects they wanted to learn, information was obtained about their general condition, and the nursing process was applied again. The effectiveness of the nursing process was evaluated by applying the Patient Follow-up Form and the Coping-Adaptation Process Scale before and after the low iodine diet to the patients who came to the nuclear medicine outpatient clinic for radioactive iodine treatment. Paired t-test was used to compare normally distributed numerical variables before and after diet, and Wilcoxon test was used to compare non-normally distributed variables. Data analysis was done with SPSS for Windows version 24.0 program. When the patients were compared before and after the diet; While no significant difference was observed in terms of body mass index values in the patients (P>0.05), the systolic and diastolic blood pressure values of the patients showed a significant decrease compared to the initial measurements (P<0.01). A significant increase was observed in the Coping-Adaptation Process Scale sub-dimensions and the total score of the scale compared to the baseline values (P<0.01). It has been observed that the nursing process applied to patients in the low iodine diet period increased the coping-adaptation levels of the patients. In this context, it is recommended to