A nurse-led rheumatology clinic's impact on empowering patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A qualitative study

• Published in: Nursing & health sciences Vol. 8; no. 3; pp. 133 - 139
• Main Authors: Arvidsson, S. Barbro, Petersson, Ann, Nilsson, Inger, Andersson, Brita, Arvidsson, Britt I., Petersson, Ingemar F., Fridlund, Bengt
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Melbourne, Australia Blackwell Publishing Asia 01.09.2006
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Ambulatory Care - organization & administration; Ambulatory Care - psychology; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - prevention & control; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - psychology; Attitude to Health; Caring sciences; Continuity of Patient Care; Empowering; Female; Health Promotion; Holistic Health; Humans; INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AREAS; Male; MEDICIN; MEDICINE; Middle Aged; Nurse Clinicians - organization & administration; Nurse's Role; Nurse-led rheumatology clinic; Nursing; Nursing Assessment; Nursing Evaluation Research; Nursing Methodology Research; Omvårdnad; Patient; Patient Education as Topic; Phenomenography; Power (Psychology); Qualitative Research; Self Care - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Sweden; TVÄRVETENSKAPLIGA FORSKNINGSOMRÅDEN; Vårdvetenskap; Sweden
• ISSN: 1441-0745; 1442-2018; 1442-2018
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-2018.2006.00269.x

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.