PATIENT AUTONOMY: EXPLORING THE ROLE OF INFORMATION AND NURSING DECISIONS

Patient autonomy is crucial for delivering high-quality care. It empowers individuals in their treatment, enhan­cing dignity, improving health outcomes, and increasing satisfaction. However, barriers hinder its promotion, le­ading to inadequate patient information and nurses’ de­cisions that compromise autonomy. This study explores how information and nursing decisions influence patient autonomy.

Materials and methods. A qualitative study was conduc­ted using semi-structured interviews. Approval was obtai­ned from the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University (Nr. 150000-S-831), and the healthcare institution’s administration. Data col­lection took place from December 2024 to January 2025 in Hospital X’s therapeutic, nursing, and palliative care departments, involving 15 participants. Data analysis was conducted using the inductive content analysis method.

Results. Nurses promote patient autonomy in medical settings and after discharge. Methods include delega­ting tasks, encouraging decision-making, and providing personalized information. After discharge, autonomy is maintained by teaching patients to monitor their health, perform long-term procedures, and self-advocate. Nurses understand that information fosters independent deci­sion-making, using it as a strategy during hospitalization and an educational resource to enhance post-discharge autonomy. However, patient information is divided into mandatory and non-mandatory categories. Those with cognitive impairments or severe disabilities do not re­ceive non-mandatory information and methods aimed at promoting autonomy.

Conclusion. Nurses strive to promote patients’ autonomy both during hospitalization and after discharge. Providing information is considered essential for fostering patients’ autonomy in both situations. However, all these methods were not used when addressing patients who are cogniti­vely impaired or have severe physical disabilities.