Hospitalised patients’ experience of being in protective/source isolation
Citation: Vottero B, Rittenmeyer L. The hospitalised patients’ experience of being in protective/source isolation: a systematic review of qualitative evidence. JBI Library of Systematic Reviews. 2012;10(16): 935-76.
What is this? During the COVID-19 pandemic, some people are in isolation to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus.
In this systematic review, the author searched for qualitative research into the experiences of adult hospitalized patients while in isolation. They restricted their search to articles published in English between 1971 and 2010, and did the search in May 2010. They included 8 qualitative studies.
What was found: In order to reduce the detrimental psychosocial effects of isolation, institutional policies need to reflect the higher acuity of care required, allow the patient to have choices, design rooms that consider the long-term patient, and support nursing care that is considerate of the unique needs of the isolated patient.
Isolation of hospitalized patients causes fractured human connectivity and nurses must provide care that mitigates the negative effects.
Clear communication between healthcare workers and patients is a vital part of preparing them for isolation.
A patient’s preferences and their coping style should be incorporated into the plan for their care during isolation.
Competency training for healthcare workers can enhance their ability to identify the needs of patients in isolation.