Registered nurses’ experiences of community-based nursing in a Swedish context

TL;DR

This study explores how registered nurses in Sweden experience working in community-based nursing, highlighting challenges like understaffing and lack of time.

Contribution

The study provides insights into how work environment factors affect registered nurses' ability to deliver person-centred care in community settings.

Findings

Registered nurses face challenges like understaffing and lack of time in community-based nursing.

These challenges hinder the development of caring relationships and integrated care.

Good personal knowledge and continuity are important for successful person-centred care.

Abstract

Community-based nursing today faces significant challenges regarding the future supply of healthcare professionals such as registered nurses. This may be due to numerous challenges, such as registered nurses being principally responsible for coordinating care and aligning with the transition to integrated person-centred care, which affects the work environment in community-based nursing. The work environment also affects career advancement prospects, personal motivations, and the desire to make a meaningful contribution to the quality of care. It is, therefore, essential to shed light on registered nurses’ experiences of their working situation within community-based nursing to identify factors that can create a better working situation.

To describe registered nurses’ experiences of the work situation in Swedish community-based nursing.

The study employed a mixed-methods design. Data were collected through (a) a quantitative sample and (b) a qualitative sample of free-text answers to open-ended questions in the questionnaire. The quantitative material was analysed through descriptive statistics, and the qualitative material was analysed with deductive direct content analysis based on the Fundamental of Care framework’s three dimensions.

The overall experience in community-based nursing was that the registered nurse’s work situation within community-based nursing is influenced by factors such as lack of time and understaffing. Lack of time and understaffing affect the possibilities of creating a caring relationship, the integration of care and the context of care.

Registered nurses’ work situation within community-based nursing is influenced by factors such as lack of time and understaffing. Lack of time and understaffing affect the possibilities of creating a caring relationship with both the person being cared for and their next of kin. In comparison with continuity, good personal knowledge and presence are promoting factors to good caring relationships. The establishment of a care relationship, satisfying basic care and creating organisational conditions take place in collaboration and are the foundations for being able to work person-centred, which also are elements described in the Fundamental of Care framework.