Being a Kidney Transplant Recipient: A Qualitative Research on Discharge Education

1Running head: NURSING
Nursing Research Proposal
Name of student:
Name of university:
Author note:

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Literature review........................................................................................................................3
Research question.......................................................................................................................5
Significance of study..................................................................................................................6
Methodology..............................................................................................................................7
Expected outcomes.....................................................................................................................9
References................................................................................................................................11

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Research proposal- Being a kidney transplant recipient: A qualitative research on their
feelings regarding discharge education
Introduction
Transplantation is an innovative and progressive field of healthcare practice that has
attracted considerable attention in the recent few years. Since the first kidney transplantation
was carried out five decades back, success and expertise in this area have grown with an
exponential curve. For patients who are suffering from end-stage kidney diseases, kidney
transplantation is the choice of treatment, bringing in opportunities for better quality of life.
For a considerable section of the population, kidney transplantation is followed by chances to
resort back to a healthy life with suitable modifications made in daily activities of living
(Amrouche et al. 2017). Kidney transplantation requires the patient to undergo lifelong
treatment, and care is to be provided to ensure that regularly follow up is done. Researchers
point out that kidney transplantation needs constant supervision. This implies that healthcare
professionals have the responsibility of providing adequate education to patients at the time
of discharge in order to ensure that the patient outcomes are desirable. Discharge education
ensures lifelong medication treatment and prevention from coexisting morbidities. In
addition, self-care strategies also make up an important part of the discharge education
(Ghadami et al. 2012). The proposed research proposal aims to highlight the feelings of
kidney transplant recipients, that is the patients, regarding discharge education, received.
Literature review
According to Patzer et al., (2012) kidney transplant requires a treatment which is
long-term in nature and follow up is essential to ensure that patients do not suffer from
morbidities. Patients undergoing transplantation require support in the fields of motivation,
skills and knowledge. A rich pool of literature highlights that a number of key challenges are

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faced while providing education to patients prior to the commencement of the surgery
process and at the time of discharge. Education might be a tricky process and need an
organized combination of scholastic activities for fostering changes in health behaviour.
Education at the time of discharge mainly revolves around administration of the medication
guidance, management of new life roles, and management of the emotions and feelings.
Supporting patient through education is the most promising strategy to ensure that results of
the transplantation are directed towards clinical success.
Hwang and Yi (2015) have given a clear account on the hindrances faced in educating
patients at the time of discharge. These include lack of time for education during discharge;
excess of guideline materials; communicational challenges; lack of continuity in education,
cultural barriers; repetition of the academic concepts; low acceptibilty of the patients in their
self-care, and the level of depression of the patients. These factors significantly contribute to
poor satisfaction levels of patients after receiving education at the time of discharge. Since
the main aim of patient education for kidney transplantation is their adaptation to the changes
imposed by the surgical process, education has to be a continual process instead of a mere
passage of information. The education process is to be broken down into a series of steps
including inspection, assessment of scholarly needs, educational programming, educational
management, and assesment of education.
Urstad et al. (2012) had carried out qualitative research for evaluating awareness and
knowledge of life for patients after kidney transplantation. Sixteen participants provided data
through 6 weeks interview process. The key aim was to assess post transplantation education
program’s efficacy. The study disclosed new acquaintance regarding renal recipients’
requirement for individual relevance to the educational matter. In addition, they reported
cognitive difficulties along with a set of factors influencing learning at the time of discharge
as well as postoperative phase.