Hemsjukvård i förändring, en utmaning för distriktssköterskan

: En kvalitativ intervjustudie

Abstract

Background: The number of beds in nursing homes and in the inpatient care have continued to decline during the latter decades. In addition, the stay in inpatient care has become shorter. These changes have resulted in that an increased number of patients are getting care at home and in that the care provided at home is getting increasingly advanced. This scenario is likely to prevail. The work of the district nurse may change due to the fact that the district nurse working with patients getting care at home is responsible for coordination and support of the interaction between the patient and health care organizations.

Aim: To describe, from the view of the district nurse, future challenges in home care related work. Method: A qualitative study was performed. Fifteen interviews were conducted with persons hired as district nurses for home care. The outcome of the interviews where analyzed using a qualitative content analysis.

Result: The following three categories were discovered: Changes in care requirement, Changes in cooperation requirement and Changes in knowledge requirement. The result show that the district nurse believes that developments and changes are required in home care as well as between care institutes in order to meet changing needs in care from future patients.

Conclusion: The district nurses see great changes in the future work related to home care. These changes are mainly viewed as positive changes, but to some extent more difficult challenges are also recognized. It is important that the district nurses contribute with knowledge and ideas in the forming of the future home care.