American Nephrology Nurses' Association journal 

About: American Nephrology Nurses' Association journal is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): End stage renal disease & Health care. It has an ISSN identifier of 8750-0779. Over the lifetime, 505 publications have been published receiving 3817 citations.

Hemodialysis patients' noncompliance with oral medications.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence, severity, and patterns of noncompliance with prescribed medications among hemodialysis patients; and to identify patient, disease and/or treatment characteristics associated with noncompliance. Demographic and medical history information were collected from chart reviews and patient interviews. Compliance data were collected via self-report, pill count, and a medication event monitoring system (MEMS, Product of Aprex, a division of Apria Healthcare; Costa Mesa, CA). A total of 135 hemodialysis patients from 11 dialysis facilities in a large Midwestern metropolitan area participated. Overall, medication compliance rates were very low. Of the patient, disease, and treatment characteristics considered, only race was found to be associated with patient noncompliance; African-American patients had higher rates of noncompliance with both monitored medications. The results of this study confirm that noncompliance with medication regimens continues to be an unremitting problem for hemodialysis patients and that demographic, medical history, and treatment characteristics do not adequately explain this behavior. Also, estimates of patient compliance as measured by self-report, pill count, and microelectronic monitoring are disparate enough to suggest that relying exclusively on patients' self-report of compliance might be insufficient.

Quality of life of hemodialysis patients.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of life of hemodialysis patients. The sample (n = 349) was selected randomly from the adult, inunit hemodialysis patient population of 90% of the counties of Illinois, with the exception of those dialyzed by the Veterans Administration. The findings indicate that the patients in this study were satisfied with their lives in general. Nevertheless, the results also indicated that continued efforts are needed to improve the health and financial independence of hemodialysis patients.

Quality of life of individuals with end stage renal disease: perceptions of patients, nurses, and physicians

Abstract: OBJECTIVE The objectives of this study were to describe the perceptions of physicians, nurses, and patients regarding the quality of life (QOL) of individuals with end stage renal disease (ESRD), to identify differences in ratings of QOL, and to identify predictors of perceptions of QOL for each group. DESIGN A cross-sectional, descriptive comparative design was used. Three measures of QOL, the Self-Anchoring Striving Scale, Index of Well-Being, and Time Trade-Off were used. SAMPLE/SETTING The subjects included 215 patients with ESRD (including dialysis and transplant), and 42 nurses and 7 physicians who cared for them. All were from a major tertiary care hospital renal program in western Canada. METHODS Patients were interviewed and asked to complete questionnaires relating to quality of life, health status, functional status, outlook, support, medical, and demographic characteristics. Three measures of QOL, the Self-Anchoring Striving Scale, Index of Well-Being, and the Time Trade-Off were used. Primary physicians and nurses were asked to complete the same questionnaires within one week of the patients. RESULTS It was found that there were significant differences in the ratings among the groups. The nurses' ratings of patients' QOL were significantly lower than were patients (T2 = 21.89, df = 5, 377, p < .001). Physicians' mean ratings were higher than patients' ratings (T2 = 14.24, df = 5, 338, p < .05). Correlations among patients', nurses', and physicians' ratings of QOL ranged between .19 and .49. It was also found that different variables explained the perceptions of each group regarding the patients' QOL. CONCLUSIONS In this study, nurses, physicians, and patients rated the QOL of individual patients differently, and different factors explained the perceptions of QOL of each group. Although findings of the study are not generalizable, it may be advisable for nurses to be aware that patients and physicians may not share their perceptions of patients' QOL.

Living with renal failure.

Abstract: UNLABELLED In this interpretive study, the experience of patients living with chronic renal failure was studied Within the framework of Heideggerian phenomenology, a hermeneutic analysis revealed three themes and one constitutive pattern The three themes were: taking on a new understanding of Being, maintaining hope and dwelling in dialysis The constitutive pattern was " CONTROL The Meaning of Technology" The findings provide an understanding of living with renal failure that argues against the traditional understanding of noncompliant behaviors The study makes visible the meaning of technology in the lives of renal patients and highlights the need for nurses to sustain meaningful human connections with patients

Subjective burden and quality of life in family caregivers of patients with end stage renal disease

Abstract: Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the quality of life (QoL) and level of subjective burden reported by family caregivers of persons with ESRD and to examine the relationship between these variables. The influence of patient (gender), illness (dialysis and diabetes status), and caregiver (race, gender, employment status, relationship to patient, and self-rated health) factors on burden and QoL was also examined. Design An exploratory descriptive design was used. Sample The convenience sample consisted of 96 caregivers of 96 transplant candidates diagnosed with end-stage renal disease. Participants were recruited from a University transplant service located in the Mid-South. Methods Caregivers of patients attending pretransplant clinic evaluations were invited to participate in the study. Caregivers completed a demographic data form, the Caregiver Burden Interview, and General QoL measure. Patient demographic data and dialysis and diabetes status were retrieved from the patient health history database of an ongoing study conducted by our transplant research team. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman's correlation analysis, and the appropriate parametric and nonparametric tests of group differences. Results Caregivers, most of whom were women, reported good QoL and little to no burden. Caregiver QoL was significantly related to caregiver burden and caregiver self-rated health. Neither caregiver race, gender, relationship to the patient, nor patient gender significantly contributed to caregiver burden or caregiver QoL. Caregiver burden did not differ by dialysis type (CAPD, incenter hemodialysis, etc.) or employment category (full-time, part-time, etc.), however QoL differed by employment status. Conclusions Findings document the linkages among burden, QoL, and self-rated health as well as illness factors, such as diabetes status. Knowledge about these relationships may facilitate the development of interventions that enhance patient and family outcomes.