Nurse’s Role in Promoting Exercise Self-Efficacy for Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction Patients: A Case Study

Abstract

Introduction: Exercise is important for cardiac rehabilitation in heart failure (HF) particularly among people with ejection fraction less than 40% due to its effects on reducing fatigue from HF pathology and increasing functional capacity. Consequently, hospital re-admissions and mortality rates decline. However, it is evident that many people with HF do not exercise regularly resulting from physical limitations and illness severity causing shortness of breathing. Low perceived exercise self-efficacy was found to be associated with nonadherence to exercise recommendation among HF patients. This article aims to demonstrate roles of exercise, Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, nurse’s roles, and an application of exercise self-efficacy promotion program in a case study of patient with reduced ejection fraction HF (HFrEF) including four components which are 1) mastery experience 2) vicarious experience 3) verbal persuasion and 4) emotional arousal. Conclusions: promoting exercise adherence is pivotal among people with HFrEF. Nurses are suggested to promote exercise self-efficacy and exercise adherence using self-efficacy theory among these patients.