Issues in Cardiovascular NursingHelp seeking in a support group for recipients of implantable cardioverter defibrillators and their support persons*
Section snippets
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Literature on life after ICD implantation indicates difficulties in adaptation for patients and their families. The incidence of anger and anxiety is higher in the ICD population than in the general population and other ill populations.3 Patients with an ICD may have severe anxiety that focuses on the fear of future shocks and depression after experiencing ICD shocks.4, 5, 6 Patients with an ICD have identified physical concerns about the sensation of being shocked, medications, and difficulty
BACKGROUND
The institution where the groups are held (a general hospital in an urban area), has been implanting ICDs since 1988. As the population of recipients grew, it became apparent that additional support was needed. The support group was started by a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) in May 1993 to offer guidance and meet the psychosocial needs of individuals with an ICD and the needs of their support persons. Attendance has been consistent and the group continues to be marketed with monthly letters
RESEARCH DESIGN
The method for this study is Heideggerian hermeneutics,21, 22 a phenomenologic approach in which the researchers attempt to uncover the common definitions of “everydayness” in an individual’s life through understanding rather than prediction. To uncover the everyday meanings of help seeking in a support group for recipients of ICDs and their support persons, the researchers sought common themes and constitutive patterns through analysis of focus groups and semistructured interviews. Both
FINDINGS
Over a 9-month period, 5 focus groups and 7 individual interviews were conducted for a total of 24 informants, 15 participants with an ICD and 9 support persons. The groups of people with ICDs included 6 women and 9 men and had a mean age of 65 years with a range of 40 to 76 years. Thirteen had experiences with SCD, 5 had no firings, and of the remaining participants, only 3 had more than 10 firings. The recipients had their ICDs for 0.1 to 7 years, with a mean of 3 and mode of 6. Support
DISCUSSION
Through hermeneutic analysis of the transcripts of the participants with an ICD and their support persons, the value and meaning of help seeking in the support group experience become clearer. Difficulties in coping with SCD and subsequent device implant are documented in the literature and include anxiety, depression, and reduced activity.5, 10, 17 The purpose of this study was to answer the research question, “What is the lived experience of help seeking in a support group for recipients of
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Reprint requests: Suzanne Steffan Dickerson, DNS, RN, School of Nursing, University of Buffalo, 914 Kimball Tower, 3435 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14214.