L'experience d'hospitalisation des Franco-Manitobains et des Franco-Manitobaines adultes

• Main Author: Lahaie, Ulysses David
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1993/1385

Existing research in health care relating to Franco-Manitobans has focused primarily on access to health services. The hospitalized experience of this cultural group has not been systematically studied. The purpose of this focused-ethnographic study was to discover and explore the meaning of the experience of hospitalization of adult Franco-Manitobans. Herberg's conceptual framework for transcultural nursing guided the study. It features four central concepts of the discipline of nursing: people, environment, health and nursing. Twelve Franco-Manitoban adults were interviewed in hospital and after discharge using a semi-structured interview guide. Seven key informants in the Francophne community were also interviewed to provide context and background for the study. Data analysis yielded seven thematic areas, including the experience of hospitalization, communication, spirituality, comfort issues, integration of instructions, the notion of "Chez nous", self care and perceptions of illness. The findings revealed that the experience of hospitalization was influenced by a range of factors related to language, family and community, spirituality, and the illness process, including limitations imposed by the illness and feelings of vulnerability. Implications based on the research findings for nursing practice, education, research and health care delivery are addressed.