Social Media Use by Transplant Recipients for Support and Healing: A Pilot Study

Introduction: Organ transplant recipients experience a tumultuous range of emotions and
feelings post transplant. Expressing these feelings and seeking support is an important aspect of
the healing journey. The power of story as a healing modality is well documented in the nursing
literature. Social media sites provide one such avenue for healing and support. Purpose: To
address the void in nursing literature regarding how social media sites are used by transplant
recipients for support and healing, and discover if internet postings provide rich qualitative data.
Method: A descriptive qualitative methodology was used for this pilot. The six-step method of
thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) was used to identify and analyze detailed themes and
patterns within the data using NVivo 10 (©QSR) software. Results: Four major themes were
explicated from the data: Sharing Overwhelming Gratitude, Revealing Intimate Connections,
Finding Sanctuary, and Yearning To Be Heard. Discussion: Knowledge generated by this pilot
study contributes to what is known about the emotional and psychological needs of this growing
patient population. Postings to the transplant-related website revealed an openness to share
experiences and a true sense of community where members reached out for and gave support to
each other. Implications for Nursing Research and Practice: Community websites offer a source
of rich qualitative data to support nursing research. Holistic patient support programs that
recognize the physical and emotional aspects of post-transplant living and care are warranted.