"Feeling secure at home" starts in the hospital: A qualitative study about the experience of patients with a APN hematology

Abstract

"Feeling secure at home" starts in the hospital: A qualitative study about the experience of patients with a APN hematology Abstract. Background: High dose chemotherapy (HDC) and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are complex procedures bringing about physical and mental stress for the persons affected. In preparation for the time after their stay in the hospital, patients need individual support and education already during their hospital stay. Aim: The study investigated how patients after HDC with or without HSCT experienced the preparations by a hematology Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) for the post hospitalization phase and how they experienced managing their day-to-day life back at home. Methods: The qualitative research approach "Interpretive Description" was applied by conducting and subsequently transcribing eleven individual interviews with six participants. The texts were read multiple times before being coded. They were continuously compared with each other and similar contents were assigned the same codes. Results: Patients find themselves in a "process of increasingly feeling secure". This process is supported by the preparation of the APN. This is reflected in three themes during their hospitalization: the relationship of trust with the APN, the comprehensive overview of the APN and the APN strengthening the feeling of security. The experience of finding back to daily life at home shows that the process of "increasingly feeling secure" is ongoing. Themes within this phase were: arriving at home, resuming daily routines and implementing the information received from the APN. Conclusions: The companionship provided by the APN enables patients to appropriately cope with their day-to-day life at home. The findings suggest that the preparations of the APN facilitate the transition from the hospital to day-to-day life back home.