Conclusion
Our results contribute to an increase in awareness of coping
and anxiety as important indicators of successful adaptation.
Problem-focused coping decreased patients’ sense of anxiety
and was positively related to better quality of life. Problemfocused
interventions vary with men and women. Men may
benefit from interventions that teach them about their health
problem(s), medical procedures, postoperative schedules or
rehabilitation, so as to diminish feelings of uncertainty.
Women could benefit from information that can help them
articulate symptomatology and health status better, so
physicians can recognize impending cardiac dysfunction
earlier, as well as interventions that can help them function
better in relation too any co-morbidities they may have. In
addition, role functions and social valuing of role expectations
has been identified as a motivator in the development of
a good quality of life and can increase self-worth. However,
social valuing of role functions is different for men and
women. Nurses can address the importance of valuing the
role functions of each patient in ways that help families and
patients respect who they are and what they do.