Promotion of tracheostomy self-care: a qualitative study based on the nurses' perspective

Aim: To describe nurses’ perspectives on promoting tracheostomy self-care. There is little information on the nurses’ perspective as care providers with knowledge of clinical contexts. Design: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted. Methods: A purposeful sample of nurses was selected from eight Portuguese hospitals. Recruitment ended once data saturation was reached (n = 12). Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed through content analysis. Results: The nurses described the most important aspects to promote tracheostomy self-care, namely the objectives, the contents to be addressed, the methods and resources to be used, the appropriate moment to intervene, the necessary conditions to promote self-care, the way to ensure the standardisation of interventions among nurses, and the level of tailored planned interventions. Conclusion: From the nurses’ perspective, promoting tracheostomy self-care is critical for regaining autonomy. Therefore, it is crucial to establish an intervention plan sensitive to individual needs and preferences. These results can help elucidate the aspects considered by nurses when promoting tracheostomy self-care so that more meaningful and feasible care models can be designed.