A nursing investigation of comfort and comforting care of the acutely ill patient

• Main Author: Kennedy, Gemma Trieste
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01.01.1991
• Subjects: Illnesses; Mental health; Nursing; Psychology
• ISBN: 9798207642130

This qualitative study explores how comfort is experienced by the acutely ill patient. An interpretive interactionism approach using ethnographic interviewing techniques was used to guide data generation and analysis. Ten patient informants, who had been treated in an intensive care unit, were interviewed for this study. Interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using the methods of: capture; construction; contextualization; modified content analysis; and constant comparative method. The results of this study revealed that individuals have unique experiences of comfort. The experience of comfort was described as: the need for comfort; the process of comfort; and the outcome of comfort. The need for comfort was individualistic and based on the resources of each patient informant. These resources included: physiology; belief in God; control of a situation; family and friends; nurses; physicians; and clergy. The process of comfort included: the nine comfort categories that contributed to the comfort needs of the informants; the sources of support (resources) available to the patient informants; and the measures that contributed to comfort. The nine comfort categories described were: caring attitude; being there; consistency; reassurance; physical activities; delegating control of a situation; calm feeling; and belief in God. Sources of support included: nurses; physicians; clergy; family and friends; belief in God; and the patient informants themselves. No matter who interacted with the patient informant, if the informant's perceived needs were not met, there was no comfort experience. Measures that contributed to the acutely ill patient's comfort were more "mental then physical." A caring attitude was the most frequently mentioned comfort measure. Comfort also appeared to be a continuum. This continuum was based on the patient informant's resources, and having their perceived needs for comfort met. The outcome of comfort was defined as the patient informant perceiving that his/her comfort needs were met. The results of this study suggest that it is important to clarify the meaning of comfort with each patient. Understanding the patient's perception of comfort can help the nurse plan nursing interventions that meet the patient's perceived comfort needs.