| Learning Objective #1: state positive and negative outcomes for older adolescents living with a parental heart or lung transplant candidate or recipient. | |||
| Learning Objective #2: list nursing interventions when addressing needs of older adolescent children of heart or lung transplant patients. |
Background: Researchers have examined effects of parental chronic illness on adolescents with conflicting results. The impact of parental heart or lung transplant status on older adolescents (ages 15 to 22 years) has not been explored. Thus, health care professionals working with transplant families have no empirical basis for adolescent interventions. This study provides that evidence.
Design: Phenomenology using method triangulation guided this study.Method: Purposive sample of parents from a heart transplant center and a lung transplant support group received invitational letters. Twelve parents volunteered their adolescent children but only 8 mailed signed consent forms, CES-D and demographic forms. Taped telephone interviews lasting approximately 25 minutes opened with “Tell me about yourself and your family.” A transcriptionist typed responses verbatim. Participants were paid $50.
Analyses: Transcripts were analyzed using Giorgi methods. Descriptive data were analyzed with measures of central tendency. Results: Ages of 8 subjects (63% female) ranged from 15 to 20 years (mean=17). All, but one, were students. Depression scores ranged from 6 to 27. All reported good health and described routine activities. All reported “good” parental relationships. A few shared conflicted feelings. All denied smoking and alcohol use. Transplant recipients’ children worried about organ rejection; transplant candidates’ children worried about “something going wrong with the transplant”. Most denied that parental transplant status influenced career plans, job, or school. All cited transplant nurses’ lack of attention. No one found adolescent support groups useful; half agreed listservs might prove helpful.
Nursing implications: Nurses should routinely highlight positive and negative outcomes with families. Transplant nurses could initiate listservs to provide accurate transplant information. Nurses should routinely assess for adolescent depression secondary to parent needs or developmental task conflicts.
Research implications: Future studies should include larger sample sizes and measure outcomes longitudinally.
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See more of The 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice (19-22 July 2006)