Quality of life one year following bone marrow transplantation: psychometric evaluation of the quality of life in bone marrow transplant survivors tool.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To examine a comprehensive view of quality of life (QOL) post-bone marrow transplant (post-BMT) and to evaluate the psychometric properties of an instrument designed to measure QOL in this population. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, descriptive, mailed survey. SETTING: A large, major BMT referral center for central, eastern, and southern Kentucky. SAMPLE: 41 BMT survivors with an age range of 18-71 years who were an average of 30 months post-BMT. METHODS: Seven mailed questionnaires, including an investigator-developed demographic questionnaire and the Quality of Life in Bone Marrow Transplant Survivors Tool (QOL-BMT-ST). MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: QOL, BMT treatment, sexual activities, employment, and uncertainty. FINDINGS: Global QOL was good (x = 6.4 on a 0-10 scale). Subjects experienced several long-term areas of concern: physical strength, sexual activities, fear of cancer recurrence, fear of developing a secondary cancer, unemployment, family distress, and uncertainty toward the future. Psychometric testing of the QOL-BMT-ST revealed adequate to excellent reliability and validity. CONCLUSIONS: Most BMT survivors reported few long-term disruptions and above average QOL. The QOL-BMT-ST has a promising utility in clinical trials. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Individually structured pre- and post-BMT assessment of physical, psychosocial, and spiritual functioning is significant in identifying vulnerable patients and treating them accordingly.

Hope among patients with cancer hospitalized for bone marrow transplantation: a phenomenologic study.

This article describes a phenomenologic study designed to further an understanding concerning the concept of hope in a purposive sample of nine patients with cancer hospitalized for bone marrow transplantation. The strategies these patients use to sustain and foster hope are examined. Data collection consisted of a one-time semistructured interview using open-ended questions. A phenomenologic-hermeneutic approach to data analysis was used to identify major themes. The findings showed that participants used six strategies to foster their hope during preparation for BMT: feeling connected with God, affirming relationships, staying positive, anticipating survival, living in the present, and fostering ongoing accomplishment. Religious practices and family members were the most frequently identified sources of hope. The findings of this study provide a base for the improvement of nursing practice.