Quality of life: subjective descriptions of challenges to patients with end stage renal disease.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this qualitative study was to describe how persons with end stage renal disease (ESRD) experience and manage the quality of their daily lives.


METHODS
Naturalistic inquiry methods guided the collection of interview data and the use of content analysis and constant comparison techniques to inductively identify themes and categories of meaning.


METHODS
Participants were 80 adults recruited from an outpatient hemodialysis center.


RESULTS
The three emergent conceptual categories that describe the quality of everyday life among the study group were: 1) Life Restricted with sub-themes "tied down," "left out," and "doing without;" 2) Staying Alive with sub-themes "love from others," "accept it as part of life," and "trust in God;" and 3) Feeling Good with sub-themes "personal satisfaction" and "being happy."


CONCLUSIONS
The insights shared by this study group can assist providers with planning and implementing educational and support programs for patients and families.
Al-Arabi
Safaa
S
University of Texas Medical Branch, School of Nursing, Galveston, TX, USA.
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology; D006240:Happiness; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000523:psychology; D012944:Social Support; D015206:Southwestern United States; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires