To be transplantated – a study about the patients’ experience

Background Earlier research according studying the experience of being transplanted, either with a kidney or a liver, have focused patients experience three months after the transplantation. Focus in this study is in the first month after the transplantation. From a perspective of “lifeworld” it is important that the integrity and entire life situation of the patient is maintained and protected. To illuminate patients need considering his/her experience of health and suffering during the first month after the transplantation can be a guide for nurses in order to take care for these patients in a way that cant strengthen there wellbeing. Purpose The purpose was to describe patient´s experience of being transplanted, one month after the surgery. Method The study is a interview study. The interviews took place at two occasions during the first month after the transplantation. The interviews were taped and transcribed. The text has been analyzed by a qualitative method where the text after careful reading has been converged into codes according to the context of the text. Consequently the codes have been sorted into categories. Finally categories formed three separate themes. Results The patients show a remarkable confidence in medical care even if the transplantation involved suffering for some of the individual patients. In order to ease the adjustment to the situation for the patient and to preserve the patient’s trust in medical care it is important to utilize the knowledge and experience of illness and sub-health of the patient. This would be the best way for following up the situation of the transplant patient. The patient can be given an opportunity to adapt to his/her situation in life if the competence of the nurse as a transmitter of knowledge and as a medical expert is utilized. This will also improve future contacts between the patient and medical care