Comparison of pectoral angina misconception among Iranian nurses, nursing students and patients.

Background and objective: previous studies revealed some angina misconception among patients and health care providers. The aim of this study was to assess the misconceptions about angina held by nurses, nursing students and patients. Materials and methods: In this cross sectional study, 120 nurses, 120 nursing students, and 120 patients with angina pectoris in Iran participated. Data were gathered by using the York angina belief Questionnaire version 1. The mean of angina misconception were compared by using ANOVA analysis of variance. The correlations between the questionnaire and the variables were calculated by regression. α < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results

Nursing students had a significantly lower misconception than patients and nurses (39.03 ± 6.35 vs. 43.70 ± 7.22 in nurses and 43.78 ± 5.77 in patients, P = 0.001). However, the differences between nurses and patients with angina, regarding the misconception score, were not significant: 43.70 ± 7.22 vs. 43.78 ± 5.77, P = 0.9, and no statically significant association was made between age, sex, education, training and number of misconception in patients, nurses and nursing students.

Conclusion

Nurses have the most pregnant relationship with patients at different stages of their treatment and can play an important role in assessing their misconceptions and intervention to dispel them. It seems that the nursing students and the nurses' continual professional educations should be emphasized to use the scientific knowledge to dispel the misconceptions in patients.