“Negotiating a new normality” - a longitudinal qualitative exploration of the meaning of living with an open surgical wound

Pađen, Ljubiša (author), Griffiths, Jane M. (author), Cullum, Nicky (author)

Purpose: Little is known about the experiences of people living with open surgical wounds. These wounds are common and predominantly affect young and actively working people. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the meaning of living with open surgical wounds. Methods: A qualitative exploratory study was conducted. We collected data using two individual interviews with each of ten participants (aged between 18–73 years) who had open surgical wounds. Our analytical approach was based on qualitative content analysis. Methods are reported using COREQ guidelines. Results: We found that the meaning of living with open surgical wounds is shaped by five subthemes: “enduring healing”, “life disruption”, “adapting to a new reality”, “striving for healing” and “returning to normal life;” all under an overarching theme of “negotiating a new normality”. Conclusion: Participants’ well-being and everyday living are greatly impacted by open surgical wounds. Findings from this study emphasize that open surgical wounds are a longterm condition with a typical “chronicity” trajectory; this brings a new perspective to previous findings of studies on living with complex wounds. This study has also highlighted areas for further research, related to improving individuals’ experience of living with open surgical wounds.

• Language: English
• Keywords: healing by secondary intention, complex wound, lived experience, suffering, adaptation, quality of life, complexity, body image, qualitative content analysis, nursing
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: ZF - Faculty of Health Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 09.09.2022
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: 15 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 17, no. 1, art. 2123932
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-140394
• UDC: 616-001-083:001.891
• ISSN on article: 1748-2631
• DOI: 10.1080/17482631.2022.2123932
• COBISS.SI-ID: 121321987
• Publication date in RUL: 14.09.2022

PAĐEN, Ljubiša, GRIFFITHS, Jane M. and CULLUM, Nicky, 2022, “Negotiating a new normality” - a longitudinal qualitative exploration of the meaning of living with an open surgical wound. International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being [online]. 2022. Vol. 17, no. 1,  2123932. [Accessed 24 April 2025]. DOI 10.1080/17482631.2022.2123932. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=140394

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being
• Shortened title: Int. j. qual. stud. health well-being
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis, Informa Healthcare
• ISSN: 1748-2631
• COBISS.SI-ID: 520365081

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
• Description: A creative commons license that bans commercial use, but the users don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.
• Licensing start date: 09.09.2022

Secondary language

• Language: Undetermined
• Keywords: sekundarno celjenje, kompleksna rana, doživeta izkušnja, trpljenje, prilagajanje, kakovost življenja, kompleksnost, samopodoba, kvalitativna analiza vsebine, zdravstvena nega