Objective To investigate the experience and needs of awake prone positioning in patients, and to provide evidence to inform interventions aimed at enhancing patient comfort and optimizing awake prone positioning therapy. Methods A qualitative descriptive research method was used to conduct face-to-face, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 21 patients who underwent awake prone positioning at a tertiary hospital in Guizhou Province from January to December 2025. The Colaizzi 7-step analysis method was used to encode, summarize, and analyze the interview data. Results Four major themes were extracted: (1) coexistence of physical comfort and discomfort; (2) differential psychological experience; (3) factors hindering prone position therapy; and (4) coping strategies and support needs. Conclusion Patients undergoing awake prone positioning experience various physiological and psychological responses, including a lack of knowledge, inconvenience caused by iatrogenic tubing, and inadequate equipment. Patients are eager to receive thoughtful care, and medical staff need to attend to patients' feelings and needs, provide personalized interventions, improve comfort, and promote disease recovery.
Chen et al. (Fri,) studied this question.