Cardiac patients' conversations and the process of establishing meaning

The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the naturally occurring conversations of hospitalized cardiac patients. According to Blumer's symbolic interactionist perspective, individual interpretation or the meaning of a stressful event is developed and shared through social interaction. The meaning of an event is the foundation for behavioral responses that can promote or impede recovery. This study analyzed the naturally occurring conversations of ten cardiac patients. Three themes were identified within these conversations. The first theme, labeled finding cause, incorporated the processes of structuring the illness event, determining a cause for the event, and sharing the story of the illness with someone. The second theme, labeled acting normally, included participants attempting to preserve their normal patterns or habits, to resume normal activities, and to maintain personal control. The third theme, labeled passing time, encompassed sequencing the experiences within the illness event and hospitalization, waiting for news about their condition and/or recovery and structuring their future following recovery from the acute illness. An analysis of naturally occurring conversation can expedite recognition of the processes cardiac patients use to structure their reality and determine the meaning of an illness event. This may provide a foundation for understanding behaviors that affect physiological and psychosocial recovery.