Patients' and nurses' perspectives on oxygen therapy: a qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Respiratory Therapy
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Hypoxemia management is critical to prevent adverse outcomes like cardiac arrest.
• Nurses play a vital role in managing low-flow oxygen therapy devices.
• Understanding patient and nurse perspectives can enhance oxygen administration strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore and describe patient and nurse perspectives on oxygen therapy.
• To identify factors influencing patient compliance and nurse management of oxygen therapy.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study utilizing face-to-face interviews.
• Convenience sample of 37 adult patients and 25 ICU nurses.
• Thematic analysis of transcribed interview data.

Main Results:

• Patients prioritized device comfort, daily living activities, and therapeutic effects.
• Nurses focused on therapeutic effect, compliance issues, management strategies, device familiarity, and device change triggers.
• Discrepancies exist between patient and nurse perspectives on oxygen therapy.

Conclusions:

• Patient and nurse perspectives on oxygen therapy differ significantly.
• Further research is needed to understand nurse practices and patient factors influencing oxygen therapy effectiveness.
• Informing evidence-based decisions for nurses' oxygen administration practices.