New kid on the block? Community nurses' experiences of caring for sick children at home.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To investigate the experiences of Swedish community nurses in caring for sick children at home, as this is a growing population of patients in community care.

BACKGROUND

There is international consensus that sick children should receive care in their homes as far as possible. Home health care allows the family to stay together while the child is undergoing treatment and thus reduces strain on the family. However, it can also be demanding for parents to take on increased responsibilities for their sick child. Children as a patient group is a relatively new phenomenon in community home health care in Sweden and represents a small part of the community nurse responsibilities, making it difficult to accumulate experience.

DESIGN

A qualitative descriptive design.

METHODS

In-depth interviews with twelve nurses in community health care. Qualitative content analysis was used.

RESULTS

'Feeling confident in order to instil confidence' was key in nurses' experiences. Two main themes emerged: 'Building a trusting relationship with the family' and 'Feeling confident in the role as caregiver'. Nurses aimed at creating a trusting nursing relationship and working closely with parents. The nurses' feeling of confidence in their role as caregivers depended on the support they received and the knowledge they had.

CONCLUSION

Many community nurses felt unconfident about caring for children at home but experienced it as manageable when peer support and a distinct collaboration with the paediatric clinic/hospital were present. The ongoing shift from hospital to home care urges paediatric clinics/hospitals and community health care to develop formal policies of transmural collaboration to train and support home nurses to deliver adequate care to sick children and their families at home and safeguard good outcomes.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

The implication of the study may contribute to efforts being made to extend and improve cooperation between paediatric clinics/hospitals and community health care.