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Empathy is an essential component of professional nursing practice. In order to empathise appropriately with patients, it is crucial that nurses appreciate, understand and respond to their patients' experience of illness. This study sought to explore the experiences of 16 people with end stage renal disease on haemodialysis therapy in Ireland. A hermeneutical phenomenological methodology was employed incorporating qualitative interviews. The data were analysed using qualitative interpretive analysis. The experience of waiting was significant for the participants in the study. The experience of waiting was constituted by two themes labelled killing time and wasting time. It is suggested that the participants' experience of waiting is reminiscent of Heidegger's existential account of boredom. Moreover, the existential perspective of boredom contained within the participants' accounts is also depicted by Beckett in his play Waiting for Godot. Consequently, the literature of both existential writers is incorporated to provide a more in-depth description of the participants' experience of waiting. It is hoped that the insights provided in this paper will enable practitioners to gain a new awareness and understanding of patients' experiences of end stage renal disease and haemodialysis therapy. This would subsequently enable these professionals to empathise more effectively with their patients' situation and respond more appropriately to their care needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This paper is a report of an exploration of the experiences of patients with end-stage kidney disease who were having haemodialysis., Background: The losses and lifestyle disruptions caused by end-stage kidney disease are a fundamental source of suffering for people. The hope of a transplant is an important factor in people's ability to cope with end-stage kidney disease and dialysis., Method: A Heideggerian phenomenological methodology was used. A purposive sample was selected of 16 patients with end-stage kidney disease having hospital-based haemodialysis therapy in the Republic of Ireland. Qualitative interviews were conducted in 2006-2007. Data were analysed using qualitative interpretive analysis., Findings: The overarching pattern identified was 'Waiting for a kidney transplant'. This pattern consisted of three themes: living in hope, uncertainty and being on hold. Participants described their experiences of living in hope while they waited for a kidney transplant. However, as the waiting time continued indefinitely, participants became uncertain, and this meant that they were unable to contemplate opportunities in the future. Moreover, the restrictions of haemodialysis therapy prevented them from performing many of the activities they had taken for granted in the past. Consequently, they described their experiences of being on hold while they waited for a kidney transplant., Conclusion: Nurses should engage in open and honest discussions with patients in relation to kidney transplantation so that they are able to recognize and address their concerns about kidney transplantation., (© 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)