7 / 28
Nursing Education 2018
Journal of Nursing and Health Studies
ISSN: 2574-2825
Page 23
April 23-25, 2018
Rome, Italy
27
th
Edition of World Congress on
Nursing Education &
Research
Background
: Autonomy and participation are threatened within
the group of older people living in nursing homes. Evidence
suggests that healthcare personnel act on behalf of older
people but are still excluding them from decision-making in
everyday care.
Objective
: The purpose was to describe registered nurses’
experience of caring for older people in nursing homes to
promote autonomy and participation.
ResearchDesign
: Adescriptivedesignwithaphenomenological
approach was used. Data were collected by semi-structured
individual interviews. Analysis was guided by Giorgi’s method.
Participants & Research Context
: A total of 13 registered
nurses from 10 nursing homes participated.
Ethical Considerations
: Ethical approval was obtained from the
Regional Research Ethics Committee. Informed consent was
achieved and confidentiality guaranteed.
Findings
: The essence of caring for older people in nursing
homes to promote autonomy and participation consisted of
registered nurses’ awareness of older people’s frailty and
the impact of illness to support health and well-being, and
awareness of acknowledgement in everyday life and trusting
relationships. Paying attention to older people by being open
to the persons’ wishes were aspects that relied on registered
nurses’ trusting relationships with older people, their relatives
and surrounding healthcare personnel. The awareness
reflected challenges in caring to promote older people’s right
to autonomy and participation in nursing homes. Registered
nurses’ strategies, hopes for and/or concerns about
development of everyday life in nursing homes were revealed
and mirrored their engagement in caring for older people.
Discussion & Conclusion
: Awareness of older people’s frailty
in nursing homes and the importance of maintained health and
well-being were described as the main source for promoting
autonomy and participation. Everyday life and care in nursing
homes needs to be addressed from both older people’s and
healthcare personnel’s perspectives, to promote autonomy and
participation for residents in nursing homes.
Biography
Maria Hedman is a PhD student in the Department of Caring Science at the
Faculty of Medicine, Uppsala University. She is a Specialist Nurse in care for
older people. She has completed her MSc in Caring Science and is working
as a Lecturer at University of Gävle since 2010. She is a RN since 1996,
working mostly in care for older people. The research topic for her thesis
is autonomy and participation for older people when living with long term
conditions such as chronic illness.
maria.hedman@hig.seCaring in nursing homes to promote autonomy and participation
Maria Hedman
1, 2
1
Uppsala University, Sweden
2
University of Gavle, Sweden
Maria Hedman, J Nurs Health Stud 2018, Volume 3
DOI: 10.21767/2574-2825-C1-002