A qualitative study on hope in iranian end stage renal disease patients undergoing hemodialysis

BACKGROUND: End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients undergoing hemodialysis are faced with serious problems in their lives. Hope, as a multifaceted factor, plays a critical role in these patients’ lives. Given the multifaceted process of hope, this study aimed to describe hope and identify the challenges, strategies, and outcomes of hope in Iranian ESRD patients undergoing hemodialysis. METHODS: This is a qualitative study using content analysis. The participants were selected using purposive sampling. The data were collected using deep, semi-structured interviews with 14 participants; it continued until reaching data saturation. Graneheim and Lundman content analysis approach was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Five main categories and twenty-two subcategories emerged; the categories consisted of (1) Hope described as a particular event to happen, (2) Opportunities and threats to achieve hope, (3) Negative emotions as barriers to achieve hope, (4) Positive coping strategies to achieve hope, and (5) Growth and excellence as the outcomes of hope. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings, ESRD patients undergoing hemodialysis described hope as a positive feeling of expectation and desire for a special thing to happen. They faced threats and opportunities to achieve hope, which exposed them to negative emotions as barriers of hope. Thus, they make use of positive coping strategies to achieve hope. Moreover, hope led to growth and excellence. Through awareness of hope, definition and strategies to achieve it, and teaching them, physicians and nurses working in hemodialysis wards can enhance hope in patients. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12882-023-03336-6.