CONTEXT: No empirical studies exist to direct nursing interventions for individuals during the long period of waiting for a transplant. OBJECTIVE: To measure the effect of information and support on hope and uncertainty for individuals awaiting cadaveric kidney transplantation. DESIGN: Randomized, controlled study. SETTING: A university-affiliated hospital in the Midwest from 1997 to 1999. PATIENTS: Fifty participants awaiting cadaveric kidney transplantation. INTERVENTIONS: The control group received no intervention phone calls or mailings, which was the current standard of care. The treatment group received phone calls and mailings once every month for 6 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Hope, measured by the Herth Hope Index, and uncertainty, measured by the Mishel's Uncertainty in Illness Scale for Adults, were evaluated at the beginning of the study and 6 months later. RESULTS: No statistically significant effect of the nursing intervention was found on hope and uncertainty in this sample (F = 0.5322, P = .81). Hope was found to be negatively related to uncertainty both before (r = -0.53, P = .0001) and after (r = -0.59, P = .0001) intervention. No significant change was found between hope before and after intervention, and uncertainty before and after intervention in the treatment group (F = 1.10, P = .40) or the control group. CONCLUSION: The individuals indicated that definite needs were met by the information and support intervention even though the results did not statistically support the effect of the nursing intervention.
CONTEXT: No empirical studies exist to direct nursing interventions for individuals during the long period of waiting for a transplant. OBJECTIVE: To measure the effect of information and support on hope and uncertainty for individuals awaiting cadaveric kidney transplantation. DESIGN: Randomized, controlled study. SETTING: A university-affiliated hospital in the Midwest from 1997 to 1999. PATIENTS: Fifty participants awaiting cadaveric kidney transplantation. INTERVENTIONS: The control group received no intervention phone calls or mailings, which was the current standard of care. The treatment group received phone calls and mailings once every month for 6 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Hope, measured by the Herth Hope Index, and uncertainty, measured by the Mishel's Uncertainty in Illness Scale for Adults, were evaluated at the beginning of the study and 6 months later. RESULTS: No statistically significant effect of the nursing intervention was found on hope and uncertainty in this sample (F = 0.5322, P = .81). Hope was found to be negatively related to uncertainty both before (r = -0.53, P = .0001) and after (r = -0.59, P = .0001) intervention. No significant change was found between hope before and after intervention, and uncertainty before and after intervention in the treatment group (F = 1.10, P = .40) or the control group. CONCLUSION: The individuals indicated that definite needs were met by the information and support intervention even though the results did not statistically support the effect of the nursing intervention.