Abstract: Problems Impacting Quality of Life in Community Dwelling Elders Living with Chronic Venous Ulcers: Nurse and Patient Perceptions (43rd Annual Conference (June 4-8, 2011))

5429 Problems Impacting Quality of Life in Community Dwelling Elders Living with Chronic Venous Ulcers: Nurse and Patient Perceptions

Loren C. Hayes, MSN, ARNP, GNP-BC, GCNS-BC, CWCN-AP, CWS, Wound Technology Network, Vice President, Clinical Operations, Hollywood, FL, Joyce Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, Case Western Reserve University, Elizabeth Brooks Ford Professor of Nursing, Cleveland, OH, Elizabeth Ayello, Ph.D., RN, ACNS-BC, CWON, MAPWCA, FAAN, Excelsior College School of Nursing, Faculty, Hollis HIlls, NY and Mary Quinn Griffin, Ph.D., RN, Case Western Reserve University, Assistant Professor of Nursing, Cleveland, OH
 Problem: The number of community dwelling elderly living with chronic venous ulcers (CVU) is increasing and the perception of the problems impacting their quality of life (QoL) by nurses who provide their wound care is poorly understood.  Several researchers report many patients with CVU experience pain, mobility changes, psychosocial issues, problems with odor and drainage, functional status changes including performance of activities of daily living (ADLs), and changes in sleep habits, all of which affect their QoL.  Despite this, little is known about the similarities and differences in the problems affecting their QoL perceived by these patients and the perception of the patients’ problems by the nurses who provide their care.  Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the level of agreement in the patient’s perception of their problems and experiences related to ADLs, physical, and psychosocial issues when living with CVU that impact their QoL, and wound care nurses’ perception of their patient’s problems.  Methods: A comparative descriptive design will be used in this study.  A convenience sample of 35 community dwelling elders with CVU and the nurses who provide care their care will be recruited for this research during the autumn of 2010.  Patient and nurse participants will complete the Nurse and Patients’ Perceptions Questionnaire.  Data analysis: Descriptive data analysis and the Wilcoxon matched pairs, signed rank test will be used identify the levels of agreement of the problems perceived by patients with CVU and by the nurses who provide their care. Significance is set at 0.05. A frequency distribution will be used to organize the data and identify the percentage of same responses to each question. Significance to nursing: Results of this study may be relevant when decisions regarding painful or expensive treatments as well as new or experimental therapies are considered for non-healing wounds. 

 

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