Abstract

*Ahmet Ã?etin Ä°zgören, UÄ?ur F. Å?erif and Ä°smet OKur DoÄ?an

This descriptive study was performed in order to determine the connection between the self-esteem and self-care agency of women who underwent hysterectomy. The study was performed 2010 in the largest Obstetrics and Children's Health Research and Training Hospital in the eastern side of Istanbul. The sample size was total of 120 women were contacted. In their 2nd day after the operation, the women filled out the Patient Information Form, the Cooper smith Self-Esteem Inventory, and the SelfCare Agency scale. The findings were evaluated with under the SPSS program. The average selfesteem score of the women was found to be 59.93�?�7.03, their average self-care agency score was found to be 80.31�?�8.78, and a positive significant relationship was found between their self-esteem and selfcare agency levels (p<0.01). Among the nursing care goals to be planned for women who underwent hysterectomy, raising the levels of self-esteem and addressing the lack of self-care agency are important in order to ensure that the women gain back their independent self-care activities in the shortest time in the post-operative period. Thus, patients may become less affected by the physiological and psychological effects of the surgery, and participate in their self-care in the highest levels possible.