This study was planned and performed to evaluate the effect of foot and hand massage on pain and anxiety management, which is one of the nonpharmacological pain relief methods in patients who undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The present study was designed and conducted in the randomized controlled manner to determine the impacts of foot and hand massage on postoperative pain and anxiety scores of patients who receive laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The universe of the study consisted of the patients who received laparoscopic cholecystectomy between April 2018 and January 2019. The study was completed with 196 patients as 63 patients in the foot massage group, 65 patients in the hand massage group, and 68 patients in the control group. To collect the data, the “Descriptive Characteristics Form,” “Visual Analog Scale,” and “State-Trait Anxiety Inventory” were used. The pain intensity of patients in the foot massage group and hand massage group were less than in the control group at 90 and 150 minutes after intervention (P<0.05). A significant reduction was determined in the need for analgesics for the patients in the foot massage group and hand massage group compared with the control group (P<0.05). A significant positive relationship was found between pain intensity and state anxiety levels in patients of the foot massage group and hand massage group. Foot and hand massage are influential in decreasing pain and anxiety levels after surgeries for patients who undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Pharmacological and nonpharmacological methods are used in postoperative pain management. Considering the complications of pharmacological methods such as respiratory depression, nausea, vomiting, convulsions, itching, decreased gastrointestinal motility, urinary retention, non-pharmacological methods gain importance. One of these methods, foot massage can be used in post-operative pain management. Foot massage is one of the independent nursing interventions that reduce pain, can be used when needed, that does not impose an economic burden, can be applied easily and effects can be observed immediately. Nurses can protect patients from unnecessary analgesic intake applying massage in pain management. Therefore, foot massage is recommended among professional nursing interventions that contributet the management of pain in the postoperative period. In this review, the effect of foot massage, which is one of the nonpharmacological methods used in pain management, on the level of pain in the postoperative period is discussed.

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Atıf gösterme/Cite this article as: Koraş Sözen K, Karabulut N. Determining the relation between critical thinking tendencies and clinical decision-making skills of nursing students.