Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
Background: Following Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) surgery, Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) implement postoperative patient care alongside Phase 1 Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR). Yet, HCPs’ experiences, including enablers and barriers to the implementation of postoperative care alongside Phase 1 CR, are largely unknown. This study aimed to explore HCPs’ perceptions of implementing postoperative care alongside Phase 1 CR, including assessing patient engagement, following CABG surgery.
Design: A qualitative study was undertaken using semi-structured interviews with 10 HCPs in a cardiothoracic unit at a large Australian tertiary hospital. Interview questions were underpinned by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). Using purposive sampling, HCPs (registered nurses, allied health and surgical team), working in a surgical cardiac unit, were recruited from February to March 2023. NVivo 12.0 software was used to analyse the textual data using inductive content analysis to generate categories.
Results: Four categories related to HCPs’ perceptions of implementation of postoperative care alongside Phase 1 CR were developed: (i) implementing individualised postoperative CABG care alongside Phase 1 CR, (ii) assessing baseline health status to inform postoperative CABG care and recovery, (iii) enhancing patient engagement through ongoing support post-CABG surgery, (iv) navigating barriers to implementing postoperative CABG care.
Conclusions: HCPs described the complexity of implementing postoperative care alongside Phase 1 CR, where enablers and barriers influence the success of both interventions. Understanding HCPS’ perceptions of implementation can assist in identifying strategies to overcome barriers and promote the implementation of individualised postoperative CABG care alongside Phase 1 CR. An individualised implementation enhances patients’ engagement in their care.
Keywords
and person-centred care, cardiac rehabilitation, coronary artery bypass grafting, healthcare professionals, implementation, postoperative care, theoretical domains framework
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
ISSN
10376178
Publication Title
Contemporary Nurse
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
School
School of Nursing and Midwifery
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Nasrawi, D., Latimer, S., Massey, D., & Gillespie, B. M. (2026). Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on implementing postoperative care alongside phase 1 cardiac rehabilitation: A descriptive qualitative study. Contemporary Nurse. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10376178.2026.2707288