Charles Hayes
The Patient's Lived Experience of a Blood Transfusion

SchoolHoly Name High School

ProgramNursing

MentorKristine Adams

DepartmentNursing Administration at Fairview Hospital

Hypothesis: Patients have many concerns about having a blood transfusion and may not get sufficient information before agreeing to such a procedure.

Methodology: The blood bank at Fairview Hospital provided a list of all in-house patients who received packed red blood cells, and researchers conducted interviews with those who met inclusion criteria. Data such as age, procedure, reason for the transfusion and gender were collected. Audio tapes from the interviews were transcribed verbatim into spread sheets. Data were clustered into themes for further exploration.

Outcomes: Most patients had accepted their doctors’ recommendation to have a transfusion without much question; the majority said no alternative was offered to them. Blood transfusion protocol at Fairview Hospital calls for passing out an informational brochure stating how the blood has been checked and how the risk of receiving a disease is minimal. However, we found that this brochure was not always passed out, and it was rarely read, although patients who did read it said it was very helpful. There is a clear need for improvement of education on multiple levels, and we strongly encourage nurses to take the time to explain the reason for the blood transfusion and the extremely minimal risk of contracting an illness personally.