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The illness experience of clients undergoing surgical intervention for coronary artery disease : clients’ perceptions and concerns

University of British Columbia

This study was designed to investigate the perceptions and concerns of clients who underwent surgical intervention for coronary artery disease. The purpose of the study was to determine clients' viewpoints of their illness experience. A phenomenological approach was used to guide data collection. Questions from a semi-structured interview guide elicited clients' retrospective perceptions and concerns regarding their illness experience. An analytic framework of "benchmarks" and "themes" was developed to examine the data which arose from the interviews. The clients perceived and explained their illness in ways different from professionals. Clients relied on past experience and socially accepted ideas to make sense of their illness and health care. Throughout their illness, clients were primarily concerned with concrete phenomena that they perceived might hamper their recovery from illness. Determining progress was an important way clients coped with illness. The findings indicate that nurses must consider the client's viewpoint if effective care is to be given. In order to reduce the discrepancy between clients and professionals, nurses must incorporate clients' viewpoints into the plan of care. The findings of this study have implications for nursing education as well as research.

Text

2010-05-08

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/24513

Nursing

University of British Columbia

Graduate