The Effect of Implementing a Rehabilitation Nursing Program on Hand Burn Patients’ Daily Functioning: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: The physical problems associated with burns can cause patients various difficulties and negatively affect their independence as well as participation in daily life activities. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a rehabilitation nursing program on hand burn patients’ daily functioning. Methods: The present randomized clinical trial was conducted to examine 60 hand burn patients referred to the Shahid Motahari Hospital of Tehran, Iran, between November 4, 2020, and April 19, 2021. The patients were randomly divided into two groups using the block randomization method (n = 30 per group). The intervention group received a 5-week rehabilitation nursing program in two steps: during the acute stage of the disorder (i.e., the time of admission) and during the recovery stage (i.e., before discharge). Data were collected in each step using the General Activities of Daily Living (GADL) questionnaire. The control group received routine care. Inferential and descriptive statistics, such as the independent and paired t-test, as well as the chi-square test and analysis of covariance, were used to analyze the data. Results: The results showed no significant difference in the daily performance of the individuals assigned to the study groups prior to the rehabilitation program (P = 0.29). According to the results of covariance analysis, the overall performance mean scores of the two groups were significantly different after implementing the nursing rehabilitation program, with a significantly higher score (i.e., better performance) recorded for the intervention group (P 0.001). Also, the means of pre- and post-intervention performance scores were significantly different in the rehabilitation group (P 0.001), but they were not significantly different in the control group. Conclusions: It was concluded that implementing a rehabilitation nursing program improved the daily performance of patients with hand burns, which offered a valid ground for accelerating the rehabilitation of these patients and shortening the period they needed to return to society.