Effectiveness of Fresh Aloevera Gel Application on Pain and Episiotomy Wound Healing among Postnatal Mothers in Government Maternity Hospital at Rajapalayam

The Research Project “A study to assess the effectiveness of fresh aloevera gel application on pain and episiotomy wound healing among postnatal mothers in Government Maternity Hospital, Rajapalayam.” A study was conducted by Mrs.V. Maheswari, in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Science in Nursing at Sri K. Ramachandran Naidu College of Nursing, Tirunelveli under the Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, Chennai during the year of October 2019. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY WERE; 1. To assess the pre test and post test level of pain and episiotomy wound healing among postnatal mothers in the experimental and control group. 2. To find out the effectiveness of fresh aloevera gel application on level of pain and episiotomy wound healing among postnatal mothers in the experimental group. 3. To compare the pre test and post test level of pain among postnatal mothers in the experimental group and control group. 4. To compare the pre test and post test level of episiotomy wound healing among postnatal mothers in the experimental and control group. 5. To find out the correlation between the level of pain and episiotomy wound healing among postnatal mothers in experimental and control group. 6. To find out the association between the post test level of pain and episiotomy wound healing with their selected demographic variables of postnatal mothers in the experimental and control groups. THE FOLLOWING HYPOTHESES WERE FRAMED FOR THE STUDY WERE; All hypotheses were tested at p< 0.05 level of significance. RH1: Mean post test level of pain will be lower among postnatal mothers in experimental group than the mean post test level of pain in control group RH2: Mean post test level of episiotomy wound healing will be higher among postnatal mothers in experimental group than the mean post test level of episiotomy wound healing in control group. RH3: Mean post test level of pain will be lower than the pre test level of pain among postnatal mothers in experimental group. RH4: Mean post test level of episiotomy wound healing will be higher than the pre test level of episiotomy wound healing among post natal mothers in experimental group. RH5: Mean post test level of pain will be lower than the pre test level of pain among postnatal mothers in control group. RH6: Mean post test level of episiotomy wound healing will be higher than the mean pre test level of episiotomy wound healing among post natal mothers in control group. RH7: There will be a significant relationship between the level of pain and episiotomy wound healing among postnatal mothers in experimental group and control group. RH8: There will be a significant association between the post test level of pain and episiotomy wound healing among postnatal mothers in experimental and control group with their selected demographic variables such as age, religion, educational status, occupation, residence, income, type of family, parity, type of incision, duration of labour, dietary pattern, whether local anesthesia given and type of suture material used. The conceptual framework of this study was based on Ernestine Wiedenbach’s helping art of clinical nursing theory and it provided a complete frame work for achieving the central purpose of the study. The research design selected for the study was quasi experimental pre and post test control group design. The study was conducted in the postnatal ward in Government maternity Hospital, Rajapalyam. The 60 postnatal mothers who fulfilled the inclusive criteria were selected for the study, out of which 30 mothers selected for the experimental group and 30 for the control group. Samples selection was done by purposive sampling technique. Pre test was conducted for experimental and control group by using Numerical pain rating scale and REEDA scale. The investigator gave fresh aloevera gel application for experimental group and no intervention for control group. On the 3rd day post test was conducted for both the groups by using universal pain scale and REEDA scale. The collected data was analyzed and interpreted based on the objective by using descriptive and inferential statistics. THE MAJOR FINDINGS OF THE STUDY WERE; With regard to age, out of 60 samples, in experimental group, 24 (80%) were between the age group of 20-25years and 6 (20%) were between the age group of 26-30 years. Where as in control group, 18 (60%) were between the age group of 20-25 years and 12 (40%) were between the age group of 26-30 years. With regard to religion, out of 60 samples, in experimental group, 24 (80%) were belongs to hindu and 4 (13.33%) were belongs to Christian and 2 (6.67%) were belongs to muslim and 0 (0%) were belongs to others. Where as in control group, 26 (80%) were belong to hindu and 4 (13.33%) were belongs to Christian and 0 (0%) were belongs to muslim and 0 (0%) were belongs to others. Based on the educational status, out of 60 samples, 1 (3.33%) were illiterate, 12 (40%) had completed primary education, 13 (43.33%) had completed secondary education, and 4 (13.33%) had completed graduate & above in experimental group. And 2 (6.67%) were illiterate, 18 (60%) had completed primary education, 7 (23.33%) had completed secondary education, 3 (10%) had completed graduate & above in control group. With regard to status of occupation, out of 60 samples, 8 (26.67%) were house wife, 22 (73.33%) were working women in experimental group. And 2 (6.67%) were house wife, 28 (93.33%) were working women in control group. Based on area of residence, out of 60 samples, in experimental group, 11 (36.67%) were living in rural, 19 (63.33%) were living in urban. In control group 20 (66.67%) were living in rural, 10 (33.33) were living in urban. Based on type of family, out of 60 samples, 16 (53.33%) were belongs to nuclear family, 14 (46.67%) were belongs to joint family in experimental group. And 16 (53.33%) were belongs to nuclear family, 14 (46.67%) were belongs to joint family in control group. With regard to income, out of 60 samples, 8 (26.67%) were earning below 5000, 11 (36.67%) were earning 5001-10000 and 11 (36.67%) were earning above 10001 in experimental group. And 9 (30%) were earning below 5000, 10 (33.33%) were earning 5001-10000 and 11 (36.67%) were earning above 1000 in control group. With regard to parity, out of 60 samples, 20 (66.67%) were primigravida, 10 (33.33%) were multigravida in experimental group. And 16 (53.33%) were primigravida, 14 (46.67) were multigravida in control group. With regard to duration of labour, out of 60 samples, 10 (33.33%) had 16 hours in experimental group. And 14 (46.67%) had 16 hours in control group. Based on dietary pattern, out of 60 samples, 8 (26.67%) were vegetarian and 22 (73.33%) were non vegetarian in experimental group. And 6 (20%) were vegetarian and 24 (80%) were Non vegetarian in control group. With regard to type of incision, out of 60 samples, 30 (100%) were underwent mediolateral, none of them were underwent median, lateral and J shaped in experimental and control group. With regard to whether local anaesthesia given, out of 60 samples, 30(100%) were stated yes and 0(0%) were stated no in both experimental and control group. Based on suture material used, out of 60 samples, 30 (100%) had chromic, 0 (0%) had silk and vicryl in both experimental and control group. On analysis, in the experimental group, pre test level of pain 29 (96.67%) mothers had severe pain and the pre test level of episiotomy wound healing 28 (93.33%) mothers had mildly healed. Where as the post test level of pain among experimental group 17 (56.67%) had mild pain and episiotomy wound healing was 19 (63.33%) had completely healed. In the control group, the pre test level of pain 27 (90%) mothers had severe pain 25 (83.33%) had mildly healed . On the other hand in control group the post test level of pain 22 (73.33%) had moderate pain and 25 (83.33%) had mildly healed. Based on mean and standard deviation of level of pain in the experimental group, the post test mean value was 1.37 with the standard deviation was 0.24. In control group, the post test mean value was 2.27 with the standard deviation was 0.44. The calculated t value was 7.81. Based on mean and standard deviation of episiotomy wound healing in the experimental group, the post test mean value was 2.27 with the standard deviation was 0.96. In control group, the post test mean value was 1 with the standard deviation was 0.58. The calculated t value was 6.18. Based on mean and standard deviation, in experimental group, the pre test mean value of pain was 3.1 with the standard deviation 0.412 which showed variation from the post test mean 1.37 with the standard deviation 0.24. The calculated t value was 16.67. In control group, the pre test mean value of pain was 2.9 with the standard deviation was 0.3, which showed variation from the post test mean 2.27 with the standard deviation 0.44. The calculated t value was 6. In experimental group, the pre test mean value was 1.52 with the standard deviation 0.25, which showed variation from the post test mean 2.27 with the standard deviation 0.96. The calculated t value was 1.12. In control group, the pre test mean value was 1.17 with the standard deviation 0.37, which showed variation from the post test mean 1 with the standard deviation 0.58. The calculated t value was 1.43. The Correlation between the level of pain and episiotomy wound healing in experimental group, shows that a strongly negative correlation between the level of pain and episiotomy wound healing among mothers in experimental group with r=-0.7 at p<0.05 level. In control group, shows a moderately negative correlation between the level of pain and episiotomy wound healing among mothers in control group with r= -0.4 at p<0.05 level. Chi- square test to associate the post test level of pain with their demographic variables of experimental group. While analyzing the statistical significance at (p<0.05) level shows that there was a significant association between the post test level of pain with their demographic variables of experimental group such as age of the mother and occupation and there was no significant association with religion, education, area of residence, type of family, income, parity, duration of labour, dietary pattern, type of incision, whether local anesthesia given and type of suture material used. And there was a significant association between the post test level of episiotomy wound healing with their demographic variables of education at p<0.05 level and there was no significant association with age of the mother, occupation, religion, area of residence, income, parity, duration of labour, type of family, dietary pattern, type of incision, whether local anesthesia given and type of suture material used. Chi- square test to associate the post test level of pain with their demographic variables of in the control group. While analysing the statistical significance there was a significant association between the post test level of pain with their demographic variables of age of the mother at p<0.05 level and there was no significant association with religion, education, occupation, area of residence and income type of family, parity, duration of labour, dietary pattern, type of incision, whether local anaesthesia given and type of suture material used. And there was a significant association between the post test level of episiotomy wound healing with their demographic variables of age of the mother, education, occupation and parity at p