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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Cited by (56)
The Needs of Families During Cardiac Arrest Care: A Survivor- and Family-led Scoping Review Protocol
2021, Journal of Emergency NursingCitation Excerpt :The care of families is absent from international resuscitation guidelines or is limited to offering presence only.56,57 The reviewed literature seems to describe the experience of family members as full of uncertainty, of giving control to health care providers, and of advocating for their loved one.58,59 Only very recently has the concept of family “cosurvivorship” appeared in the resuscitation literature.5
Psychological correlates, allostatic overload and clinical course in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD)
2016, International Journal of CardiologyCitation Excerpt :For these reasons, most of research have focused on psychological problems risen after ICD implantation. The difficulties in adaptation for both these patients and their families [12] resulted in an increasing need to address psychological distress [13,14]. Studies on the role of a previous history of psychiatric disorders are rare.
Caring for the Heart and Mind in ICD Patients
2011, Cardiac Electrophysiology ClinicsCitation Excerpt :Support groups give patients an opportunity to obtain practical information about life with an ICD, meet others with ICDs, and secure emotional support.79 Themes of helpful support groups include the exploration of patient perspectives through story telling; triggers that encourage help-seeking in the group; provision of meaningful information about what to expect, what’s normal, how and why the device works, and what to do after shock; group camaraderie; use of an empowering expert facilitator; and inclusion of caregivers and support persons.86 Studies examining the effects of patient support groups on psychosocial and health outcomes are few in number, have small sample sizes, and regularly lack randomized controls.87–89
Information needs of informal caregivers of older adults with chronic health conditions
2011, Patient Education and CounselingFactors related to quality-of-life pattern changes in recipients of implantable defibrillators
2010, Heart and Lung: Journal of Acute and Critical CareUsing a webcast support service: Experiences of in-person attendees of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator support group
2010, Heart and Lung: Journal of Acute and Critical CareCitation Excerpt :Support groups have been described to reduce stress and enhance adjustment, and to meet the educational and emotional needs of patients with ventricular tachycardia, providing a forum in which patients can share problems, fears, concerns, and questions with their peers.9-11 Qualitative reports from patients and their spouses after participating in an ICD support group indicated an improved ability to cope, a positive adjustment to the device, an increased satisfaction with life, and a connection with other ICD recipients.10-13 Support groups are often led or facilitated by trained healthcare professionals.
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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.