Living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): Part II. RNs’ experience of nursing care for patients with COPD and impaired nutritional status

Abstract

This study is the second part of a project with the main purpose of obtaining a deeper understanding of the consequences of living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) concerning meal-related situations and an impaired nutritional status. COPD is a slowly progressive lung disease that results in several complications, including malnutrition. Nutritional status is an important part of COPD treatment, and there are criteria recommended for nutritional assessment and interventions among patients with COPD. Despite this, patients with extreme malnutrition and unnoticed weight loss are reported. The aim of the study was to investigate how Registered Nurses (RNs) in primary care describe nutritional assessment practices and interventions in COPD patients with impaired nutritional status. An interview approach using semistructured questions and case vignettes was chosen. The sample included 19 RNs working specifically with COPD patients. Data from interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis, and nine categories corresponding to the aim were identified. The RNs reported that their assessment of nutritional status was based largely on intuition. Assessment also included detection of the patients' current beliefs and being sensible about information provision - When and How. Interventions were supportive eating interventions, practical and cognitive participation, and making patients aware of the illness trajectory. An overall category that influenced nursing was respecting patients' feelings of shame and guilt about a self-inflicted disease. It seems that RNs use intuition because of a lack of knowledge of systematic methods of nutritional assessment. The findings also indicate that the RNs attempted to build a relationship of trust with the patients rather than provide early information on sensitive topics (e.g. nutritional information). The study reports areas of nursing care for COPD patients that must be improved in the future.