Comfort Needs of Renal Transplant Recipients: A Qualitative Analysis Guided by Kolcaba's Theory of Comfort.
Cecília Carla Barroso Calazans, Jennara Cândido do Nascimento, Renan Alves da Silva and 3 others
PMID 41480655WHAT IT FOUND
Renal transplant recipients described comfort as moving beyond pain relief to include freedom from dialysis, financial stability, and spiritual support.
While physical discomfort was transient, long-term well-being relied heavily on social networks and the autonomy gained by no longer being tied to a machine.
Key findings
01Participants identified post-operative pain and invasive procedures as primary physical discomforts, but described these as transient compared to the lasting relief of escaping dialysis.
02Sociocultural factors, specifically financial instability and the need for family support to cover treatment costs and transport, were critical determinants of patient comfort.
03Psychospiritual comfort was strongly linked to faith and religious community support, which provided practical aid and emotional resilience during the post-transplant period.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Data were collected from a single centre in Brazil, which may limit the transferability of findings to other healthcare systems or cultural contexts. The study relied on self-reported experiences without longitudinal follow-up, so it captures a snapshot of comfort needs rather than their evolution over time. Short-term therapeutic bonds may have influenced the depth or nature of the responses, as participants might have been hesitant to disclose sensitive issues like financial distress.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the reported 'superior comfort' as a measurable clinical outcome or an effect size. This is a qualitative description of patient perception, not evidence that the transplant procedure itself reduces discomfort scores in a quantifiable way.