Lived Experiences of Elderly Patients with Coronary Artery Disease: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study

Introduction: Coronary artery disease is the most common type of cardiovascular disease. Despite the increasing number of patients with coronary artery disease, the lived experiences of these patients have remained unknown. The purpose of the study was to understand the lived experiences of elderly patients with coronary artery disease. Methods: This qualitative research was conducted using an interpretive phenomenological approach. Participants included thirteen elderly patients (9 males and 4 females) with coronary artery disease selective of purposive sampling method from Coronary Care Unit of Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Qom, 2016. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews between 55 - 80 minutes. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. The Van Manen's proposed six steps was used to analyze the data. Results: The main theme of study was "living with ups and downs". It included sub-themes of 1) losing calmness,2)  trying to achieve calmness through spirituality, 3) losing health, 4) trying to promote health through modification of lifestyle, 5) perceiving family support, 6) living in fear, 7) living with a damaged heart". Conclusion: Findings of the research indicated that the coronary artery disease led patients to experience ups and downs for the participations. After the disease, they were trying to achieve calmness through some strategies. Members of the treatment team, especially nurses should provide self-care education for to make them be have successfully in this field.