The psychological trajectory from diagnosis to approaching end of life in patients undergoing hemodialysis in China: A qualitative study.
Hong-Yan Niu, Jin-Feng Liu
PMID 31406714WHAT IT FOUND
Dialysis patients described a psychological trajectory from shock and denial to adaptation and finally depression.
The afraid stage lasted about six months. Nurses should assess psychophysiological symptoms at each stage and design individual care plans.
Key findings
01Participants described three psychological stages: afraid, adapted, and depression.
02The afraid stage lasted approximately six months, after which symptoms were relieved and knowledge increased.
03At the depression stage, patients faced severe complications and imminent death, often losing interest in life.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Participants were selected using convenience sampling from a single center in Jiangsu Province, China, so results may not be representative of all hemodialysis patients.
Declared interests
None declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the six-month duration of the afraid stage as a fixed timeline for all patients. This was a small qualitative study with 23 participants from one center, and individual experiences varied.