Evaluating Structured Teaching Programmes for Dietary Education in Hemodialysis Patients

Illness can strike anyone at any age, and critical illness is a life-threatening event that affects the individual’s physical, psychological, socio-cultural, and spiritual dimensions. Hemodialysis patients require comprehensive, goal-oriented care to support survival and improve overall quality of life. Dietary management is a vital component of care for hemodialysis patients, and nursing interventions such as structured teaching programmes can significantly enhance patients' knowledge and self-management. The objectives of this study were to assess the knowledge regarding dietary management among hemodialysis patients in selected hospitals of Vadodara, to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured teaching programme regarding dietary management, and to determine the association between knowledge scores and selected demographic variables. An evaluative approach with a pre-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test design was used. A total of 30 hemodialysis patients were selected through non-probability convenience sampling from selected hospitals in Vadodara. Data were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire. The intervention involved a structured teaching programme on dietary management for hemodialysis patients. In the pre-test, 60% of patients had poor knowledge and 40% had average knowledge. In the post-test, 26 (86.7%) patients demonstrated average knowledge and 3 (10%) showed good knowledge. The overall mean knowledge score improved from 45.3% (SD = 3.4) in the pre-test to 67.5% (SD = 3.37) in the post-test. The mean difference of 4.44 was statistically significant with a t-value of 4.53 (p < 0.05), indicating a positive impact of the structured teaching programme. The study concludes that the structured teaching programme was effective in improving the knowledge of hemodialysis patients regarding dietary management. Nurses play a crucial role as educators and facilitators in enhancing patient knowledge and promoting better health outcomes through targeted interventions.