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To explore patients' experiences of participation in surgical wound care and provide an in-depth understanding of their experiences with post-operative wound care during and post-hospitalisation.
A descriptive qualitative study.
Adult participants who had undergone surgery within 30 days were purposively selected from two surgical wards at Gold Coast University Hospital. Seventeen semi-structured phone interviews were conducted using a specifically developed and piloted interview guide. Textual data were analysed using inductive content analysis.
Three main categories were identified. The first category, ‘I didn't expect how distressing post-operative wound care would be; it's tougher than I thought,’ highlights the significant and unexpected physical and emotional challenges participants faced, which initially hindered their engagement. The second category highlights the impact of healthcare professional interactions on patient participation, ‘I want to be involved, but conflicting advice and dismissive behaviour discourage me.’ The third category, ‘With my family's help, wound care got easier as I tried, learned, and recovered,’ illustrates how family support facilitated participants' independence and engagement over time.
The spectrum of patient participation in surgical wound care is dynamic and impacted by environmental, physical and psychological factors. This research deepens understanding of patient participation by highlighting the importance of family support and a temporal perspective in patients' wound care journeys.
Findings showed participants were unprepared for surgical wound care, greatly influenced by healthcare provider communication and family support, and evolved in participation as time passed and their wounds healed. Additionally, participants valued intent just as significantly as their behaviours and regarded even minor involvement as totally participative. These insights can inform strategies to improve patient participation in surgical settings.
SRQR (Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research).
No patient was involved in this study.
The study aims to explore the experiences of Black Canadian parents following a preterm birth and their perspectives of being in the NICU.
A qualitative design guided by principles of community engagement was used to explore the experiences of Black Canadian parents.
Focus groups and in-depth interviews were conducted with 40 Black parents of preterm infants. A thematic analysis approach was used to organize the data into meaningful themes.
Five major themes were identified through the data analysis: encountering racism and discrimination in the NICU, bearing the emotional weight of staying in the NICU, enduring the feeling of bodily betrayal and guilt, grappling with the turmoil of uncertainty and seeking peer and mental health support programs.
This study provides in-depth understanding of the unique experiences of Black Canadian parents after a preterm birth and the challenges they face navigating the NICU.
Developing a targeted training program for health care providers is critical to address racism and discriminatory practices and enhance parents' sense of belonging in the NICU. Creating Black-focused peer support and accessible mental health care during and after the NICU is critical to address the gaps in programs and services and to promote effective coping.
Addressing racism and discriminatory practice requires urgent attention to promote equity within the NICU environment. Scaling up access to Black peer support and mental health programs will contribute to improving parental wellbeing in Canada and beyond.
This study was in partnership with the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation, our community collaborator.
FreshRSS 