Patienters upplevelser i samband med en hjärttransplantation : en litteraturstudie

Background: In Sweden, heart transplantation increases as a method of treatment. Patients undergoing heart transplantation require special needs of care. Nurses have to increase knowledge about experiences that these patients percieve to conform the health care in the future. In this study, health science has been used as a theoretical frame of reference which includes a patient perspective. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe experiences among patients, elder than 18 years old, undergoing heart transplantation. Method: The method was a qualitative descriptive study with a context analysis based on ten scientific articles and an autobiography corresponding with the aim of the study. Results: The results of this study showed six themes about experiences that emerged among patients undergoing heart transplantation: feeling of vitality, existential crisis, importance of social support, destructive feelings, capacity of going on and the experience of quality of life. Conclusion: It’s not a guarantee that the quality of life will increase among patients undergoing heart transplantation and they need a specialist trained nurse available to support at all hours