Acute leukaemia and malignant lymphoma patients' experiences of disease, treatment and nursing care during the active treatment phase : an explorative study

• Five acute leukaemia or high malignant lymphoma patients at a hospital in southern Sweden were interviewed about their daily living problems, their coping strategies and their opinions about the nursing care they received during the active phase of their treatment. In addition the EORTC QLQ-C30, the Global Life Quality and the Sense of Coherence scales were administered. The data were analysed from a hermeneutic phenomenological perspective and interpreted to indicate that the patients sensed a threat to their lives, loss of control and having to live in uncertainty stemming from the disease and the treatment. They had problems with such things as fatigue, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, sore mouth, and high temperature. However they seemed to minimise the importance of these problems and instead focused on gaining control of the situation, developing their knowledge of the disease and relying on the  support of their family. Contradictions appeared in their statements about the quality of care; the information given was said to be good but difficult to understand, though the quality of the nursing care was judged to be high it had to be asked for i.e. help was received on request. In conclusion the entire situation of the patients perspective of both from the family and the nurses, needs to be studied in further research in order to fully understand the patients´ coping strategies and how nursing care can support them.

Ämnesord

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Nursing (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskaper -- Omvårdnad (hsv//swe)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskaper (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

nursing

haematology

patient perspecitve

qualitative method

Nursing

Omvårdnad

haematology nursing

acute leukaemia

highly malignant lymphoma

patient perspective

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)