Selected abstracts from the 23rd Royal College of Nursing Society of Orthopaedic and Trauma Nursing International Conference and Exhibition, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK 24-26 September 2009

摘要

This paper examines the concept of hope from a theoretical and practical perspective drawing on data from a study of hope on a Regional Trauma Unit. In general the concept of hope is appealing because it focuses on how people survive and look forward to life, despite the many traumas and disruptive events that occur. The study drew on the principles of ethnography undertaking: 21 h of observation; in depth qualitative interviews with 10 patients and 10 multidisciplinary members of staff; and two focus groups with staff to expand preliminary findings from the study. Data collection took place between March 2007 and October 2007. Data were analysed by sentence and coded using QSR N6 as a means of managing the data. The findings identified two themes that conveyed the meanings of hope in trauma care; the nature of hope and realistic hopefulness. The nature of hope identified the range of meanings inherent in hope for staff and people living with injury; the importance of energy, self worth and moving forward. Staff used a process of realistic hopefulness to support emotional and physical recovery from injury alongside a practical goal directed approach to care. Both staff and people living with injury found living with uncertainty a struggle; in addition staff were careful to avoid conveying false hope. Hope in this study represents the artistic blending of a range of theories into a practical activity that has relevance to daily ward life. Challenges for practice and areas for further research are identified.