Experience reported by the person submitted to a hip or knee arthroplasty, related to the continuity of nursing care

Background: Considering the experience of the person submitted to a hip or knee arthroplasty, related to the continuity of nursing care, namely the preparation of their return home, is a key result of quality in health. Therefore, the evaluation of the experience “is seen as a support to improve the quality of health care, management and public responsibility”. Thus, the goal of this study is to identify the dimensions related to the person’s experience who has been submitted to a hip or knee arthroplasty, towards nursing care, in the preparation of the return home. Materials and methods: This is a qualitative, exploratory-descriptive study. Non-probabilistic convenience sampling. The participants were people submitted to a hip or knee arthroplasty, who found themselves at their home and freely agreed to participate in the study. The data was collected through a semi-structured interviews guide and analyzed through a deductive method, using the content analysis technique and the cycle coding technique, supported by NVIVO1.7® software. Approved by the Ethics Committee - Document of the SESARAM Ethics Committee, EPE n. °: 29/2019. Results: Eight dimensions were identified: prevention of complications and control of symptoms; prescribed therapeutic regimes; adaptability to changes; communication; accessibility; quality of life; participation and shared decision-making; feelings and emotions. These results show the real experience’s dimensions, reported these people themselves, allowing to contribute to good nursing practices development, in order to guarantee a high level of self-experience, safety and health’s quality of life. Conclusion: Studying the person’s experience, reported by themselves, means to place the person at the center of health care. As such, it proves to be pressing to investigate, in order to obtain metrics that allow not only to improve the person’s own experience, but also to offer new answers, in a continuum of improvement, of nursing care in the preparation of returning home. Nurses, embedded in the healthcare team, are valued by people, in their continuum of care. The authors declare under their responsibility that this article is original, has never been sent to another publication and in its elaboration all scientific, methodological and ethical rigor was taken into account (Document of the SESARAM Ethics Committee, EPE n. °: 29/2019). Furthermore, they declare that they don’t have other conflicts of interest. Informed consent was obtained for publication.