1. The communication experience of tracheostomy patients with nurses in the intensive care unit: A phenomenological study.
- Author
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Tolotti A, Bagnasco A, Catania G, Aleo G, Pagnucci N, Cadorin L, Zanini M, Rocco G, Stievano A, Carnevale FA, and Sasso L
- Subjects
- Adult, Female, Humans, Intensive Care Units organization & administration, Italy, Male, Qualitative Research, Communication, Nurse's Role, Nurse-Patient Relations, Tracheostomy adverse effects
- Abstract
Objectives: To describe the experience and sources of comfort and discomfort in tracheostomy patients, when they communicate with nurses in the Intensive Care Unit., Research Methodology/design: Benner's interpretive phenomenology. Data were collected through: a) semi-structured interviews conducted with the patients after leaving the intensive care unit; b) participant observation; c) situated interviews with intensive care nurses., Setting: The intensive care unit of a hospital in Northern Italy., Findings: Eight patients and seven nurses were included in this study. Two main themes were identified 1) feeling powerless and frustrated due to the impossibility to use voice to communicate; 2) facing continual misunderstanding, resignation, and anger during moments of difficulty and/or communication misunderstandings. The main communication discomfort factors were: struggling with not knowing what was happening, feeling like others had given up on me, living in isolation and feeling invisible. The main comfort factors were: being with family members, feeling reassured by having a call bell nearby and nurses' presence., Conclusions: This study highlights the important role of communication in tracheostomy patients in intensive care and how closely it is linked to all the aspects of a person's life, which cannot be underestimated as just not being able to use one's voice., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2018
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