Abstract             Aims and Objectives: To find out when patients experience the most anxiety during hospitalization for percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), examine the correlation between anxiety and illness uncertainty, and determine the patient’s most pressing information needs.             Background: Patients undergoing PCI usually experience high levels of anxiety. Previous cross-sectional studies in illness groupings that included asthma and diabetes found that illness uncertainty serves as a significant predictor of psychological distress such as anxiety. Illness uncertainty management interventions such as disease education and providing information resources can improve outcomes in cancer patients. The correlation between anxiety and illness uncertainty has not been studied in acute care settings with patients receiving PCI.             Design:            A longitudinal study of 166 participants was done with three rounds of data collection: one day before (T1), the same day (T2), and three days after the intervention (T3). State anxiety inventory scores (S-AE) and angiotensin II blood levels (AT II) were used to measure levels of anxiety. The Chinese version of Mishel’s Illness Uncertainty Scale was used to measure the level of illness uncertainty. Self-designed questionnaires were used to assess patient demographics and the patient’s most pressing information needs.             Results:           Patients undergoing PCI experienced high anxiety and illness uncertainty with levels higher at T1 and T2 compared to T3. Illness uncertainty and anxiety were positively correlated at T1, T2 and T3. The patient’s most pressing information needs were knowledge related to first aid for coronary heart disease and the impact PCI would have on their life in the future.             Conclusion:     Patients undergoing PCI experience high anxiety with more anxiety before the intervention than after. The anxiety patients felt positively correlated to illness uncertainty. First aid knowledge related to coronary heart disease (CHD) management and the impact of PCI on the patient’s future life were the most pressing information needs for patients undergoing PCI.             Relevance to clinical practice: Effective nursing interventions to decrease anxiety and illness uncertainty by patient education and other strategies may improve psychological outcomes, especially before the intervention. Effective patient education programs for patients undergoing PCI should be explored in the future.

ABSTRACT        Continuity of care in home health is a valued, yet poorly understood concept. This study is about the delivery of nursing care provided to elderly home health patients and what association visitation by the same RN has in the improvement of selected “Outcome and Assessment Information Set” outcomes. Functional status, psychological status, and use of emergent care are examined. Cases selected represented individuals aged 65 and older, with at least one chronic illness and a good prognosis. Patients received four or more visits from the same RN. The clinical and administrative billing records from an initial 60-day period yielded a convenience sample of 887 discharged cases from a suburban, U.S. hospital-based home health agency. Higher levels of RN continuity were associated with a decreased likelihood of neuro/emotional/behavioral problems for patients at discharge. The findings showed no relationship of RN continuity of care to functional status and use of emergent care for the period examined. Key Words: Continuity of Care, Outcomes, Home Health Nursing

In I. Martinson, M. &. A. Widmer, G. & Portilla, J. (Eds), Home Health Nursing 2nd Edition. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders