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Patients and nurses' perspective on oxygen therapy : a qualitative study

journal contribution
posted on 2009-01-01, 00:00 authored by Glenn Eastwood, Beverly O'Connell, A Gardner, Julie ConsidineJulie Considine
Aim. This paper is a report of a study to describe patients' and nurses' perspectives on oxygen therapy.
Background. Failure to correct significant hypoxaemia may result in cardiac arrest, need for mechanical ventilation or death. Nurses frequently make clinical decisions about the selection and management of low-flow oxygen therapy devices. Better understanding of patients' and nurses' experiences of oxygen therapy could inform clinical decisions about oxygen administration using low-flow devices.
Methods. Face-to-face interviews with a convenience sample of 37 adult patients (17 cardio-thoracic: 20 medical surgical) and 25 intensive care unit nurses were conducted from February 2007 to September 2007. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and then analysed using a thematic analysis approach.
Findings. The patients identified three key factors that underpinned their compliance with oxygen therapy: (i) device comfort; (ii) ability to maintain activities of daily living; and (iii) therapeutic effect. The nurses identified factors, such as: (i) therapeutic effect, (ii) issues associated with compliance, (iii) strategies to optimize compliance, (iv) familiarity with device, (v) triggers for changing oxygen therapy devices, as being key to the effective management of oxygen therapy.
Conclusion. Differences between the patients' and nurses' perspective of oxygen therapy illustrate the variety of factors that impact on effective oxygen administration. Further research should seek to provide a further in-depth understanding of the current oxygen administration practices of nurses and the patient factors that enhance or hinder effectiveness of oxygen therapy. Detailed information about nurse and patient factors that influence oxygen therapy will inform a sound evidence base for nurses' oxygen administration decisions.

History

Journal

Journal of advanced nursing

Volume

65

Issue

3

Pagination

634 - 641

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell Publishing

Location

Oxford, England

ISSN

0309-2402

eISSN

1365-2648

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2010, Wiley-Blackwell

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