A method to develop a nursing intervention: the contribution of qualitative studies to the process

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Patient-Centered Care
• Qualitative Research Methods

Background:

• Developing effective nursing interventions (NI) requires understanding patient experiences.
• Existing methods for NI development did not align with patient-centered goals.
• Qualitative methods are essential for gaining insight into patient perceptions of health information and support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel methodology for developing patient-centered nursing interventions (NI).
• To illustrate the process using a nursing intervention for sexual adaptation in women with gynecological cancer.
• To emphasize the integration of patient perspectives throughout the intervention development.

Main Methods:

• A two-phase approach: design and testing.
• The design phase involved qualitative studies to understand patient experiences with sexuality post-gynecological cancer treatment.
• The testing phase used qualitative methods to refine the intervention based on patient and nurse feedback, assessing feasibility and acceptability.

Main Results:

• A patient-centered nursing intervention (NI) for sexual teaching (ST) was developed.
• The process integrated patient lived experiences and perspectives.
• The developed NI was found to be feasible and acceptable.

Conclusions:

• Qualitative studies are integral to developing nursing interventions (NI) that are aligned with patient perspectives.
• This methodology ensures interventions are sensitive to patient experiences, even when initiated by caregiver advice.
• The developed framework supports the creation of effective, patient-centered healthcare practices.