The Meaning of Being Supportive for Family Caregivers as Narrated by Registered Nurses Working in Palliative Homecare

Abstract

The aim of this study was to illuminate the meaning of being supportive to family caregivers who care for a relative at home as narrated by registered nurses. The context used to allow for the meaning of being supportive to be illuminated was palliative home care. The study uses a phenomenological-hermeneutical method inspired by the philosophy of Ricoeur. Data consisted of narrative interviews, which were analyzed in three recurring phases: naive reading, structural analyses and interpreted whole. Twenty nurses from the hospitals in Sweden participated in the study. Two core themes were found: forming a relationship and keeping caregiving at home.