The Lived Spiritual Experiences of Patients Transitioning Through Major Outpatient Surgery

Dramatic changes in outpatient surgery have occurred in recent years, but the basic care needs of surgical patients remain constant. Most outpatients face the same spiritual and coping issues that inpatients do, but outpatient surgery requires that patients cope with the surgery at an accelerated pace. This phenomenological study describes the meanings of the lived spiritual experiences of patients transitioning through major outpatient surgery. Analysis of interviews with participants resulted in four distinct themes: a point in time, holy other, vulnerability in the OR, and appraisals of uncertainty. Ways that health care providers can provide holistic case include developing an understanding of the patient's overall experience, understanding the patient's goals, and supporting the patient's own coping mechanisms and resources. Additional research should be conducted to explore interventions related to patients' spiritual well-being in outpatient settings.