Abstract:
Quality of life (QOL) has become an important outcome for patients on dialysis. Perceptions of QOL may differ between patients on dialysis and nurses working with dialysis patients (Molzahn, Northcott & Dossetor, 1997). The conceptual framework for the study is Quality of Life (Ferrans & Powers). The purpose of this comparative descriptive study is to examine differences in perceptions of QOL of patients on dialysis and nurses who care for dialysis patients. The sample will be drawn from three midsize hospitals in the Midwest. Patients receiving dialysis at the dialysis center who have been on dialysis for more than 6 months will be asked to participate. Nurses will be recruited from the same dialysis centers. The sample will consist of a cohort group of 50 adult patients with end stage renal disease and 50 nurses who care for the patients on dialysis. Three instruments will measure QOL: the Self-Anchoring Striving Scale (SASS), Index of Well-being (IWB) and Time Trade-off (TTO). Permission will be obtained from Ball State University and the participating hospitals. This study will provide information for nurses about QOL of patients on dialysis.