Resiliency, the Lived Experience of Patients Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Abstract

Background: Hematopoetic stem cell transplantation is considered as a standard treatment for cancer patients to stay hopeful toward treatment outcome. However, these patients experience many complications which might affect different aspects of their life. The aim of this study was to investigate the lived experience of patients after hematopoetic stem cell transplantation and introduce supportive care strategies. Materials and Methods: In this study, Van Manen’s Hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used. Eleven patients (7 males and 4 females) were chosen by targeted sampling from visitors of Shariati Hospital’s outpatient clinic. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and the final data were analyzed by MAXQDA 10 software. Results: Data analysis revealed that the main theme was resiliency with two sub-themes of “not surrendering to disease” and “feeling closer to God”. Conclusion: Participants declared that transplantation was like a second chance for life and considered this opportunity as a gift from God to overcome their disease. According to our findings, spirituality aids can help patients control the disturbances following HSCT and health professionals can use constructive strategies to support patients with spiritual needs.

The role of family and culture in the disclosure of bad news: A multicentre cross-sectional study in Pakistan

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“…A recent study done on patients presenting to the Community Health Centre of Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, has shown that the majority of patients wanted to know what was happening to them [ 18 ] This is true worldwide as shown in multiple international studies [ 15 , 19 , 20 ].…”

Explaining the Opinions of Medical Students Regarding Professional Ethics Conflicts Using reflective thinking

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“…For example, how much information is given, how much disclosure is required, is it possible to harm the patient by telling too much information in the wrong way, and should doctors be the gatekeepers of medical information? (35) The conducted studies emphasize that doctors and nurses generally believe that they can make choices on behalf of patients in the best way. Therefore, they act instead of them and do not feel the need to explain to patients and seek their opinions(36).…”