Life experiences of chronic renal patients undergoing hemodialysis: subsidies for the professional nurse

Abstract

Due to limitations imposed by the treatment, the Chronic Renal Insufficiency frequently leads the patient to abandon his job, quit being the responsible person for the family support, and also reducing its social activities. To better understand the life of a chronic renal patient an exploratory descriptive study was carried out with 11 patients submitted to hemodialysis treatment. It was observed that the psychological answers varies from person to person, that the family represents a main psychological support, and that the patients supported by relatives show compliance with the treatment. Very often, health professionals do not see this patient as an individual undergoing intense life adjustment. Physiologic and psychological changes can cause a lot of anger and most of the times, a non compliance to the treatment. There is a need to develop empathy with the patient. It is observed that the patients with better knowledge of their pathology and its treatment are more balanced and become a compliant patient.