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The communication experience of tracheostomy patients with nurses in the intensive care unit: A phenomenological
Angela Tolotti1, Annamaria Bagnasco1, Gianluca Catania1
1Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Via Pastore, 1, 16132 Genoa, Italy.
Objectives:
To describe the experience and sources of comfort and discomfort in tracheostomy patients, when they communicate with nurses in the Intensive Care Unit.
Research Methodology/Design:
Benner's interpretive phenomenology. Data were collected through: a) semi-structured interviews conducted with the patients after leaving the intensive care unit; b) participant observation; c) situated interviews with intensive care nurses.
Setting:
The intensive care unit of a hospital in Northern Italy.
Findings:
Eight patients and seven nurses were included in this study. Two main themes were identified 1) feeling powerless and frustrated due to the impossibility to use voice to communicate; 2) facing continual misunderstanding, resignation, and anger during moments of difficulty and/or communication misunderstandings. The main communication discomfort factors were: struggling with not knowing what was happening, feeling like others had given up on me, living in isolation and feeling invisible. The main comfort factors were: being with family members, feeling reassured by having a call bell nearby and nurses' presence.
Conclusions:
This study highlights the important role of communication in tracheostomy patients in intensive care and how closely it is linked to all the aspects of a person's life, which cannot be underestimated as just not being able to use one's voice.
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