Graduation Semester and Year
2023
Language
English
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing
Department
Nursing
First Advisor
Kathryn Daniel
Abstract
PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE – A QUALITATIVE STUDY People living with heart failure manage their diagnosis in diverse ways. The lived experiences of qualitative study participants are valuable for helping healthcare providers understand patient perspectives. When interviewed, the themes expressed by people living with heart failure aligned with the resilience theory by Greene (2002). Healthcare providers can use this theory to guide questions when interviewing people with heart failure and designing effective plans of care for this group of patients. Participants with heart failure were recruited for the phenomenological research project using ResearchMatch.org - an online volunteer organization of people with a variety of healthcare conditions and word of mouth. As a result of their willingness to take part in earlier studies, a few were approached directly. Fourteen individuals consented, provided demographic information, and were willing to engage in semi-structured interviews. The interview data was sorted using an inductive approach. The analysis revealed seven themes: (a) negative reactions of the patient, (b) positive reactions of the patient (with subthemes), (c) self-determination, (d) adherence to doctor’s orders, (d) what helps you manage, (e) what makes managing worse, and a (f) sense of humor. These themes and their subthemes align with Greene’s (2002) resilience theory. The participants had varying perspectives related to their living with heart failure and how they managed their health condition. New treatment plans can incorporate these findings in novel interventions to build resilience in people living with heart failure. Healthcare providers can incorporate the patients’ beliefs and facilitate ways to improve quality of life for patients with heart failure.
Keywords
Older adults, Heart failure, Resilience, Stressors, Causes, Mindfulness, Chronic condition
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences | Nursing
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Stehling, Elisa St. Clair, "PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE – A QUALITATIVE STUDY" (2023). Nursing Dissertations. 36.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/nursing_dissertations/36
Comments
Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington