Transitions in Transplant

My MScN research will focus on understanding the experiences of renal transplant recipients (RTR) as they transition from hospital to home. This transition is critical for RTR, as they face new challenges with lifestyle changes accompanying their new kidney. RTR are at risk for complications, increasing the potential for graft failure and mortality. A greater understanding of RTR experiences with the hospital-to-home transition is needed. This study intends to explore the barriers and facilitators to a smooth transition from hospital to home of RTR, aiming to answer the question: How do Atlantic Canadian RTR experience the transition in care post-operatively to three months after? Methods: Interpretative phenomenological analysis will allow RTR to share their unique perspectives on transitioning from hospital to home post-transplant through semi-structured interviews. Two interviews will be completed with participants (n=3-6), one during the first-month post-transplant, and the second during the third-month post-transplant. Interpretative phenomenological analysis will guide the data analysis process. An integrated knowledge translation approach will inform each step in the research process, creating a working group of key stakeholders including patients, nurses, physicians, researchers, and management. Anticipated Results: This study will identify barriers and facilitators to the hospital-to-home transition. The results will be used to design interventions which address these barriers and facilitators to an easier transition from hospital to home. Overall, the study findings will provide a holistic understanding of RTR experiences with transition and enable healthcare providers to support this population better. As a registered nurse in renal care, I recognize that evidence-based interventions will help support inpatient and outpatient nurses to support RTR in their post-transplant journey. By identifying the barriers and facilitators to transition from hospital to home, interventions and strategies can be implemented to avoid poor outcomes such as hospitalization, graft loss, and death, hospitalization, graft loss, and death.