Uncertainty in hospitalized patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of uncertainty of hospitalized patients with chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema. Fourteen men and 11 women were interviewed. Content analysis of the data yielded three themes of uncertainty, including managing home- and self-care, planning for the future, and the unpredictable course of the illness. Two themes that reflect coping resources also emerged from the data. These were positive thinking, and social support and material resources. The subjects were perceiving uncertainty in relation to their illness and hospitalization, and were endeavouring to manage it through the process of cognitive coping.