This grounded theory study investigates the experiences and perceptions of comfort and discomfort of hospital patients admitted for medical-surgical conditions, with a focus on the post-accute stage of hospitalisation. In-depth post-discharge interviews were conducted with seventeen English speaking adults who had been admitted to nine Australian hospitals. A substantive theory of finding comfort and of managing discomfort was generated. Processes of self-talk (anticipating, interpreting, accepting, making allowances and maintaining perspective) and self-care (self-help and seeking help, which involved accommodating to the level and type of help available through deferring, avoiding, persisting or desisting) were used to find comfort and to manage discomfort. The study has implications for nursign practice, management, research and education. Existing practice in the areas of assessment, communication, individualised care planning and the management of discomfort need to be strengthened if nursing care is to make a difference for this category of patient. The study revealed that integrated caring by nurses perceived by informants as 'experts', contributed most to the experience of finding comfort and managing discomfort in this group of informants / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/235773 |
| Date | January 1996 |
| Creators | Walker, Annette Clare, University of Western Sydney, Nepean, Faculty of Nursing and Health Studies |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Source | THESIS_FNHS_XXX_Walker_ A.xml |
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