Tensions in the personal world of the nurse family carer: A phenomenological approach

The incidence of chronic illness is growing globally. As a result, there are fiscal and social implications for health delivery. Alongside the increased burden on health resources is the expectation that someone within the family will assume the responsibility of carer for those who are chronically ill. The expectation to assume the role of carer may be amplified for family members who are also nurses. Currently, there is little research that investigates the impact of nurses who are carers for family with a chronic illness. Consequently, this qualitative study, based on face-to-face and telephone dialogue, was conducted using unstructured interviews. A phenomenological-hermeneutic approach utilizing the hermeneutic circle was employed to understand the meaning of the transcriptions. Hermeneutic phenomenology inspired by Heideggerian philosophy was used as a framework to clarify themes and build ways of understanding the phenomenon of ‘Being’ a nurse and a family carer. Themes identified in the analysis of the study included a personal world, a professional world and a practical world. This paper explicates the findings from examination of the personal world of ‘Being’ a nurse who is also a family carer. Analysis revealed there were three facets to this way of ‘Being’: a shared experience, a caring experience and a fraught experience. The findings of the study disclosed that participants were informed by experiences that were both enriching and conflicting. These insights can enlighten healthcare professionals to the tensions which exist for nurses who care for family so that these considerations are incorporated into individualized and effective family-centred care. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd