Experiences of nurses caring for renal transplant patients assigned to acuity-adaptable rooms

The acuity-adaptable patient room concept is an emerging care model in which a patient is cared for in the same room from admission through discharge regardless of the patient level of acuity. The current, standard-care delivery model often requires moving the patient from one unit or room to another to provide the necessary level of care. Such transfers contribute to errors in communication, patient disorientation, dissatisfaction, and falls. In the acuity-adaptable patient room model, the varying levels of care are brought to the patient to eliminate or minimize these adverse outcomes. One institution embraced the acuity-adaptable patient room concept on their renal transplant patient. The care of a patient undergoing transplantation is so complex that the transplant nurse must be vigilant about the total care management of the patient. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of transplant nurses caring for renal transplant patients in acuity adaptable patient rooms using a phenomenological approach. This study was conducted in a twice re-designated magnet facility in the southwestern United States. Ten (10) seasoned transplant nurses who worked in the multi-organ transplant unit that adopted the acuity-adaptable model of care were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide approach. The data were analyzed using the Colaizzi method where theme clusters about patient and family comfort, nurse empowerment, and the future potential of the acuity-adaptable patient room emerged that clearly demonstrated that the acuity-adaptable patient room model provides a healing environment for the renal transplant patient and the family.