AIM: The aim of this study was to illuminate the meanings of district nurses' lived experiences of meeting significant others in the home when giving advanced home care to patients. METHODS: The data was collected through 10 audio-taped narrative focus-group interviews with 36 district nurses and interpreted using a phenomenological hermeneutic approach. FINDINGS: Three themes emerged. The first theme, Feeling close, consists of three subthemes: Being available, Sharing understanding and Being aware. The second theme, Mediating strength, contains the subthemes Being a resource and Sharing trust. Being emotionally influenced is the third theme and involves the subthemes Experiencing emotional distress and Experiencing emotional gratitude. CONCLUSION: Meeting significant others as a district nurse in advanced home care means creating and maintaining a trustful relationship with significant others, both on a personal and family level, aiming to illuminate and respond to their needs and desires. The district nurses strive to reach a mutual understanding and co-operate to mediate support. Being a district nurse in advanced home care is both emotionally demanding and emotionally rewarding.
AIM: The aim of this study was to illuminate the meanings of district nurses' lived experiences of meeting significant others in the home when giving advanced home care to patients. METHODS: The data was collected through 10 audio-taped narrative focus-group interviews with 36 district nurses and interpreted using a phenomenological hermeneutic approach. FINDINGS: Three themes emerged. The first theme, Feeling close, consists of three subthemes: Being available, Sharing understanding and Being aware. The second theme, Mediating strength, contains the subthemes Being a resource and Sharing trust. Being emotionally influenced is the third theme and involves the subthemes Experiencing emotional distress and Experiencing emotional gratitude. CONCLUSION: Meeting significant others as a district nurse in advanced home care means creating and maintaining a trustful relationship with significant others, both on a personal and family level, aiming to illuminate and respond to their needs and desires. The district nurses strive to reach a mutual understanding and co-operate to mediate support. Being a district nurse in advanced home care is both emotionally demanding and emotionally rewarding.
Keywords:
advanced home care; caring; district nurse; family; family nursing; informal care providers; palliative care; phenomenological hermeneutic; relationships; significant other