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A nurse‐led rheumatology clinic’s impact on empowering patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A qualitative study
Author(s) -
Arvidsson S. Barbro,
Petersson Ann,
Nilsson Inger,
Andersson Brita,
Arvidsson Britt I.,
Petersson Ingemar F.,
Fridlund Bengt
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
nursing and health sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.563
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1442-2018
pISSN - 1441-0745
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-2018.2006.00269.x
Subject(s) - medicine , rheumatoid arthritis , rheumatology , qualitative research , family medicine , nursing , physical therapy , sociology , social science
The aim of this study was to describe a nurse‐led rheumatology clinic’s impact on empowering patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory disease that attacks many joints, causing considerable functional restrictions for patients. Consequently, these patients are dependent on a wide variety of health‐care services. A descriptive, qualitative design inspired by phenomenography was chosen. The conceptions were collected through interviews with 16 strategically selected patients with RA. Three descriptive categories comprising eight conceptions emerged: teaching (gaining insight and receiving information), regular review (receiving security, realizing regularity, and achieving accessibility), and attention (getting a holistic assessment, receiving coordinated care, and getting sufficient time). A nurse‐led rheumatology clinic can be a source for empowering patients with RA to adopt new stances to alternative actions and achieve a higher level of faith in their own abilities.