UNCERTAINTY IN HOSPITALIZED-PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY-DISEASE

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of uncertain ty of hospitalized patients with chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema. Fourteen men and 11 women were interviewed. Content analysis of the da ta yielded three themes of uncertainty, including managing home- and s elf-care, planning for the future, and the unpredictable course of the illness. Two themes that reflect coping resources also emerged from t he data. These were positive thinking, and social support and material resources. The subjects were perceiving uncertainty in relation to th eir illness and hospitalization, and were endeavouring to manage it th rough the process of cognitive coping.