Date of Conferral

2017

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Health Services

Advisor

Suzanne M. Richins

Abstract

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a growing epidemic that affects more than 50% of the world's population. CHF is a preventable disease, but prevention requires a healthy lifestyle from a young age. Most patients already diagnosed with CHF receive advice and strict instructions for care to prevent further cardiac injury. This quantitative descriptive research study was designed to address walking and jogging as the best exercises for patients diagnosed with CHF and in patients diagnosed with other cardiac problems. The results revealed that walking is the best exercise to improve patients' resting heart rate and overall cardiac function. This study also indicated that cardiac rehabilitation (CR) improved both blood pressure and heart rate, but the findings showed that CR improved heart rate most effectively. The Levine conservation model served as the foundation of the research. The Levine conservation model ensures the safety and the wholeness of a patient by protecting the interaction and adaptations of the patient's health care plan and environment through conserving and balancing energy. The social change plan for this research study is to give health care teams who care for patients with CHF or cardiac problems guidance to educate patients about CR. Increasing CR education among all health care teams could help improve many patients' quality of life, and the autonomy and empowerment given to patients may subsequently increase patients' cooperation with the treatment plan.

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