Commentary on : Time in hospital by Holloway et al.

This study by Holloway et al reinforces the value of qualitative research that aims to describe the experience of being ill. The authors have provided thought provoking insight into the world of patients in hospital by focusing on the importance of time. This study provides evidence that time is an important facet of the hospital experience and confirms the findings of other authors who have investigated similar themes.1, 2 Holloway et al provide nurses with various issues for consideration in practice and future research. Indepth interviews with a small sample of people will inevitably provide a rich range of opinions and experiences. It was interesting in this study to see that certain experiences seem to be shared among patients in hospital, such as feeling bored and isolated. Although these insights are not new, the study helps to put them in context and should encourage nurses to question their relevance to their own client groups. Also, this study encourages consideration of how to minimise time that is wasted by long waiting periods in clinics. It would be helpful to have known more about the nature of the different illnesses involved. For instance, time might be more precious to patients with advanced cancer who want to use their remaining time as productively as possible. Nurses often seek to improve their practice by relating interventions to the needs of patients. They can help people to cope with the demands that illness places on their sense of time through the use of relatively simple strategies. For example, the authors suggest that nurses can empower patients to have control over their day by abolishing some of the rituals, by tailoring care to individual needs (eg, allowing patients to choose at what time they get up), by providing clocks and calendars to reduce disorientation, by introducing patients to one another to help to pass the time, and by involving them in planning their discharge to reduce uncertainty about the length of stay. The findings should also encourage nurses to investigate this important issue further among other patient populations