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Qualitative Health Research
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Silent, Slow Lifeworld: The Communication Experience of Nonvocal Ventilated Patients

Stacey M. Carroll

University of Massachusetts at Amherst

The author explored communication experience of nonvocal ventilated individuals in rehabilitation settings with an aim to understand the reality of being voiceless using interpersonal relations theory as the theoretical study framework. Nineteen participants of varied ages and with varied ventilator courses shared their experiences while they were still nonvocal. The author used an interpretive phenomenological approach and analyzed the data using thematic analysis. Participants described the meaning of their nonvocal experience as "Being trapped in a silent world makes me feel frustrated and incomplete," "Days pass in slow motion while the rest of the world speeds by," "Making and preserving connections is of paramount importance," and "The powerlessness of being nonvocal was ameliorated by developing coping strategies and by consistent and reliable nursing care." In the discussion, the author provides an expanded understanding of the complexities of living in a silent, slow world.

Key Words: phenomenology • rehabilitation • voiceless • communication • mechanical ventilation

Qualitative Health Research, Vol. 17, No. 9, 1165-1177 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1049732307307334
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