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Exploring the experiences of young people nursed on adult wards

  • Linda Dean
    ,
  • Sharon Black
  • University of Lincoln
Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Abstract

This paper reports on a study of experiences of young people aged 14 to 18 years who were nursed on acute adult hospital wards in NHS hospitals in England. In spite of British government guidelines, young people from 14 years of age continue to be admitted to adult wards in the UK. Although much has been written about the transition of the young person to adult services, there is little research about the experiences of young people who are nursed on adult wards. Hermeneutic phenomenology was used to explore the lived experiences of eight young people who had been nursed on adult wards between 2004 and 2010. Data were collected in 2010. In-depth interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using Colaizzi's framework ( Colaizzi, 1978 ). Themes explored included expectations of what the experience may be like, young people's first impressions of the ward environment, the feelings of the young person while in hospital, the attitudes of people towards them including, both staff and other patients, and future admissions and how they would cope with readmissions. Better provision needs to be made for young people including appropriately trained staff, adolescent-friendly environments and areas in adult wards that are dedicated to adolescents.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 229-236

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

British Journal of Nursing (Volume 24, Issue 4)

Publication milestones

  • Published - 01/02/2015

Publication status

Published - 01/02/2015

ISSN

0966-0461

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/576812
  • Scopus: 84923858870

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