Authors
www.sbmu.ac.ir
Abstract
Introduction: The quality of care in comatose patients is the most significant criteria for
evaluation of nursing care quality. This is due to the fact that caring for these patients is long and
very burdensome. This criterion is achieved by transferring of experience from experienced
nurses to novice nurses. The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experience of
caregivers of comatose patients.
Method: van Manen’s conception of hermeneutic phenomenology with purposeful sampling of
nurses of teaching hospitals was used in Tehran in 2011. The data were collected through 8
interviews. The gathered data were analyzed in order to explain this lived experience.
Results: The participants were 5 males and 3 females and were working in critical care units for
6-23 years. 15 essential subthemes were elicited, and were classified into 4 themes. The
meaning of caring for comatose patients was explained by the subthemes and themes achieved.
Conclusion: The findings of the current study will give nurses a greater knowledge on caring for
comatose patients, give greater insight into the issues being faced by the caregiver, lead to a
better understanding of the needs of these patients, improve the relationship with the patients,
and ultimately help improve the nursing practice.
Keywords
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