Facing uncertainty and possible death: the Christian patients' experience.
This paper presents the hospital experience of a group of coronary artery bypass graft surgery patients. A description of the qualitative methodology is given. The participants' experience was identified as facing uncertainty and possible death. Excerpts from interviews are given. The participants coped with the situation by praying or having others pray on their behalf. Their uncertainty and possible death was affected by the conditions of: available support; environment; credible authority; information; belief; and their psychophysiological status at the time.
Hawley
G
G
School of Nursing, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia. hawleyg@nursing.curtin,edu.au
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001293:Attitude to Death; D002835:Christianity / Q000523:psychology*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires