Muazu, Isa Makama, Ferns, Terence, Thompson, Trevor ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9880-782X and Dibley, Lesley ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7964-7672 (2026) A journey in pursuit of meaning: a hermeneutic phenomenological study on living with post-operative shoulder pain following discharge from day case surgery. Global Qualitative Nursing Research (GQNR), 13. pp. 1-17. ISSN 2333-3936 (Online) (doi:10.1177/23333936261448076)

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Abstract

This hermeneutic phenomenological study explored the meaning of post-operative pain for patients following day case shoulder surgery. Eighteen adults with a confirmed diagnosis of shoulder injury who were scheduled for day surgery were recruited purposively Unstructured interviews were conducted by phone or online, audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using Diekelmann’s interpretative method. Four constitutive patterns were developed: (1) Suffering perpetually in pain; (2) Overcoming pain; (3) Living in an unfamiliar body; and (4) Communicating and Lacking Essential Information. Pain was often unexpected, unpredictable and disruptive; the body was experienced as ‘unhomelike’ due to temporary dysfunction of the affected limb and enforced dependence on others for daily help. Pain medication regimes and goals were not always understood, nor used as prescribed, though some participants were able to accept and withstand their temporary post-operative pain. Information from healthcare providers was perceived to be of poor quality, causing confusion during the post-operative period. The experience of shoulder pain following day surgery is complex, and one for which most participants were unprepared, suggesting a need for a nursing approach towards pre-operative preparation and postoperative rehabilitation - acknowledging patients’ relevant prior experiences, providing clear, concise information, creating pre-operative ‘shoulder’ clubs and facilitating consistent follow-up which is not currently catered for by the current day case model.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The PhD program that enabled this study was supported in part by King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation London, University Hospital Lewisham, and The Association for Perioperative Practice. Data collection and transcription were partly self-funded by the first author.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	day case, hermeneutic phenomenology, post-operative pain, surgery, England
Subjects:	R Medicine > R Medicine (General) R Medicine > RD Surgery R Medicine > RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development > Centre for Chronic Illness and Ageing Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > School of Health Sciences (HEA) Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > School of Human Sciences (HUM)
Last Modified:	09 Jun 2026 15:12
URI:	https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/52866

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