Experiences of professional autonomy among critical care nurses in Kenya: a qualitative study

Exercising autonomy allows nurses to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. However, more information is needed about the critical care nurses' perceptions of their professional autonomy in rural areas. Objective: To explore the perceptions, facilitators and barriers to professional autonomy among critical care nurses in rural Kenya. Methods: The hermeneutic phenomenological study design was used in this study. Data were collected in a critical care unit using a semi-structured interview guide. A sample of 10 participants were recruited. The study was conducted in Nyeri County Referral Hospital. Results: Three themes emerged from the study on the nurses' experiences of professional autonomy, perceptions of autonomy, facilitators of autonomy, and barriers to autonomy. Conclusion: Autonomy undeniably plays a pivotal role in defining the professional status of the nursing profession. Perceptions, facilitators and barriers to professional autonomy form the background of the current professional status. Nurses, therefore, exercise autonomy effectively when it aligns with patient care needs and when a conducive environment supports it.

Análise da qualidade de vida de pacientes em hemodiálise: um estudo qualitativo / Analysis of quality of life in hemodialysis patients: a qualitative study

Objetivo: analisar como o paciente em hemodiálise percebe a sua qualidade de vida e quais são os fatores que ele acredita que podem modificá-la. Metodologia: Para este estudo qualitativo foram realizadas 12 entrevistas com pacientes selecionados aleatoriamente. As questões norteadoras deste estudo foram: a) ?O que o senhor (a) entende por qualidade de vida?? b) ?Como o senhor (a) percebe sua qualidade de vida?? c) ?O senhor (a) acredita em algo que possa melhorar a sua qualidade de vida??. As respostas foram gravadas e transcritas posteriormente, utilizando a análise de conteúdo para identificar as categorias. Resultados: A maioria dos pacientes acredita que qualidade de vida é ter saúde, ter família e amigos, ter uma boa condição financeira e ter religião. Dois pacientes percebem sua qualidade de vida como boa, dois como regular e oito como ruim. Com relação á o que poderia melhorar a qualidade de vida deles, todos os participantes responderam que a alternativa é o transplante renal. Conclusão: Esta investigação foi extremamente relevante não só para os profissionais que trabalham em unidades de hemodiálise, possibilitando-lhes um melhor entendimento sobre os pacientes, como também para o doente renal, que foi beneficiado pela interação com os pesquisadores do estudo, que se preocuparam em demonstrar as diferentes formas de melhorar a qualidade de vida.

Objective: analyzed how patients on hemodialysis realize their quality of life and what are the factors that he believes can change it. Methodology: For this qualitative study was conducted 12 interviews with randomly selected patients. The questions guiding this study were: a) ?What do you (a) means for quality of life?? B) ?How do you (a) perceive their quality of life?? C) ?Do you (a) believes in something that can improve their quality of life??. The responses were recorded and transcribed later using content analysis to identify categories. Results: Most patients believe that quality of life is being healthy, having family and friends, have a good financial condition and have a religion. Two patients perceive their quality of life as good, two as fair and eight as poor. With respect to what could improve the quality of their lives, all participants responded that the alternative is a kidney transplant. Conclusion: This investigation was extremely important not only for professionals working in hemodialysis units, allowing them a better understanding of the patients, but also for the kidney patient, who was benefited by interaction with the study investigators, who worried to demonstrate the different ways to improve the quality of life.