EMOTION AND CARDIAC TECHNOLOGY: AN INTERPRETIVE STUDY | Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing Home Archives Vol. 20 No. 2 (2003): December 2002 - February 2003 Scholarly Papers Main Article Content

Carole Anderson, RN, BN, MN(Research)Hons
Dr Wendy Moyle, RN, BN, MHSc, PhD
Dr Margaret McAllister, RN, RPN, BA, Med, EdD

Keywords

cardiac pacemaker, emotion, nursing, technology, poststructuralism, interpretive interaction

Abstract

This paper presents a frequently overlooked aspect of advanced technological care - that of the human dimension and emotions. Emotionality is defined as the emotional ways that a client experiences their embodied experience as a recipient of a cardiac pacemaker. One individual’s story from a larger interpretive study of clients who received pacemakers is presented and interpreted. Kev’s story encapsulates the difficulties of dealing with and understanding cardiac technology. When Kev’s heart malfunctions he confronts a new reality; an experience where the ‘technological body’ is linked confusingly with emotion. This complex interplay between technology, the body and emotionality is discussed to demonstrate the importance of the mediating role that nurses can and should play in clients’ adaptation and recovery.

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