Effects of a Nursing Guideline on Anxiety in High-Risk Pregnant Women Receiving Fetal Health Monitoring with a Nonstress test device (NST) at Serm Ngam Hospital, Lampang Province
Abstract
Background: High-risk pregnancy is a leading cause of maternal and fetal mortality and complications, causing pregnant women to experience anxiety regarding fetal wellbeing and personal health risks. Therefore, Fetal health monitoring using Nonstress test device (NST) combined with holistic nursing care can effectively reduce such anxiety.
Objective: To compare mean anxiety scores before and after implementing holistic nursing care guidelines among high-risk pregnant women undergoing fetal surveillance with Nonstress Test (NST) at Soem Ngam Hospital, Lampang Province, and to assess their satisfaction levels.
Study design: A one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study was conducted with 24 high-risk pregnant women undergoing NST between May 1–September 30, 2025. Instruments included a demographic record form, an anxiety assessment tool and a satisfaction questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t-test.
Results: Anxiety scores decreased significantly by 2.4 points (p=0.014), from 50.3 (SD=3.16) before to 47.9 (SD=4.75) after intervention. Satisfaction was rated at the highest level across all domains.
Conclusion: Holistic nursing care guidelines effectively reduced anxiety and improved satisfaction among high-risk pregnant women undergoing NST. Professional nurses should apply this approach including patient education, emotional support and family involvement to reduce anxiety and enhance service satisfaction.
Keywords: Holistic nursing care, high-risk pregnancy, anxiety, fetal heart rate monitor
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