Impact of problem management-guided health education with positive incentive nursing after rectal cancer surgery.

Background: Patients undergoing rectal cancer surgery frequently encounter challenges in their self-care abilities, disease knowledge, and emotional well-being postoperatively. Effective nursing interventions are critical for improving the quality of life and minimizing complications. This study explored the clinical implications of integrating health education guided by problem management with positive incentive nursing to address these challenges.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of this combined nursing model on postoperative self-care ability, disease knowledge, mood state, and complication rates in patients undergoing rectal cancer surgery.

Methods: Eighty patients who underwent rectal cancer surgery between October 2021 and August 2024 were allocated into reference (routine care) and experimental (problem management-guided health education combined with positive incentive nursing) groups. The outcomes included exercise of self-care agency scale, disease knowledge (hospital-specific questionnaire), mood state (profile of mood states), and complication rates.

Results: The experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in self-care ability (P < 0.05), with higher scores for health knowledge, self-concept, self-care skills, and self-care responsibility than the reference group. Disease knowledge scores also improved markedly in the experimental group (P < 0.05). Mood state scores showed a significant decrease in the negative dimensions (e.g., anxiety and depression) and an increase in energy vitality (P < 0.05). Additionally, the experimental group exhibited a lower complication rate than the reference group (7.5% vs 27.5%, P < 0.05).

Conclusion: The integration of problem management-guided health education with positive incentive nursing significantly enhanced postoperative self-care abilities, disease knowledge, and emotional well-being while reducing complication rates. This model demonstrated potential for widespread adoption in clinical practice by offering a structured approach to improve patient outcomes and quality of life.