Baccalaureate Nurses’ Experiences and Understanding of Adults Living with Sickle Cell Disease

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a chronic, genetic blood disorder with most treatment interventions geared toward the acute phase of the disease, which often leads to fragmented care. In Canada, the teaching of SCD occurs without a genetic competency, resulting in miscommunication, misunderstanding, and inadequate nursing care. Purpose: This investigator examined baccalaureate nurses’ experiences and understanding of working with adults living with SCD. Methods: A semi-structured interview guide was used to explore baccalaureate nurses\u27 experiences and understanding of working with young adults living with SCD. Results: Lindseth and Norbergs’ (2004) interpretation of Ricoeur’s hermeneutic interpretative phenomenological approach was used to analyze, interpret, and report the research findings. Conclusions: With the research findings, an in-depth understanding of baccalaureate nurses’ experiences and understanding of working with this vulnerable population was provided. Baccalaureate nurses’ experiences and understanding offered new insights to foster curricula change in nursing education