International Journal of Nursing Research

Objective To analyze the improvement of exercise self-efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the guidance of cognitive balance theory and the three element linkage continuation nursing. Methods 70 RA patients admitted to our hospital from August 2023 to August 2024 were selected as the research subjects. They were randomly divided into a control group and an observation group using a random number table method, with 35 patients in each group. The control group received routine discharge guidance, while the observation group received three element linkage continuation nursing guided by cognitive balance theory. The nursing effects of the two groups were compared. Results The observation group showed significantly better levels of knowledge, belief, and action, exercise self-efficacy scores, and quality of life scores compared to the control group, with significant inter group comparisons (P<0.05). Conclusion Under the guidance of cognitive balance theory, the three element linkage continuation nursing has a significant nursing effect on RA patients, which can effectively improve their mastery of health knowledge and promote the improvement of their exercise self-efficacy, thereby promoting the improvement of their quality of life. Therefore, it can be promoted and applied in clinical nursing.

Cognitive Balance Theory; Triple linkage continuation nursing; Rheumatoid arthritis; Exercise self-efficacy