Abstract
AIM: To explore patients' experiences of participation in surgical wound care and provide an in-depth understanding of their experiences with post-operative wound care during and post-hospitalisation. DESIGN: A descriptive qualitative study. METHODS: Adult participants who had undergone surgery within 30 days were purposively selected from two surgical wards at Gold Coast University Hospital. Seventeen semi-structured phone interviews were conducted using a specifically developed and piloted interview guide. Textual data were analysed using inductive content analysis. RESULTS: Three main categories were identified. The first category, 'I didn't expect how distressing post-operative wound care would be; it's tougher than I thought,' highlights the significant and unexpected physical and emotional challenges participants faced, which initially hindered their engagement. The second category highlights the impact of healthcare professional interactions on patient participation, 'I want to be involved, but conflicting advice and dismissive behaviour discourage me.' The third category, 'With my family's help, wound care got easier as I tried, learned, and recovered,' illustrates how family support facilitated participants' independence and engagement over time. CONCLUSIONS: The spectrum of patient participation in surgical wound care is dynamic and impacted by environmental, physical and psychological factors. This research deepens understanding of patient participation by highlighting the importance of family support and a temporal perspective in patients' wound care journeys. IMPACT: Findings showed participants were unprepared for surgical wound care, greatly influenced by healthcare provider communication and family support, and evolved in participation as time passed and their wounds healed. Additionally, participants valued intent just as significantly as their behaviours and regarded even minor involvement as totally participative. These insights can inform strategies to improve patient participation in surgical settings. REPORTING METHOD: SRQR (Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research). PATIENT AND PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient was involved in this study.