Elisabeth Bruce

Elderly women’s experiences of support when living with congestive heart failure

Heart failure is a chronic syndrome that has physiological, psychological and social effects. The aim of the study was to illuminate the meanings of support as experienced by elderly women with chronic heart failure. Narrative interviews were conducted with five elderly women with chronic heart failure. A phenomenological hermeneutic method of interpretation was used. The meanings of support were experienced by the women out of two perspectives, that is, when support is present and when there is a lack of support. The findings were revealed in two themes: “Feeling confident means support” and “Feeling abandoned”. The women do not wish to be a burden. They want to be independent as much as possible to defend their dignity. An important support to the women is that they are understood and confirmed in their illness. Supportive relations are most valuable, that is, a relationship that supports the womens independence. If there is no supportive relationship, they feel like a burden to others and they feel lonely; this loneliness creates suffering and counteracts wellbeing and health.

Experience of Support for Parents of Adolescents With Heart Defects—Supported to be Supportive

The purpose of this study was to illuminate the meanings of the lived experience of support for parents of adolescents with heart defects. Narrative interviews were conducted with four mothers and two fathers of adolescents with heart defects. Interviews were interpreted using a phenomenological-hermeneutic method. The interpretation revealed that parents, themselves, attempt to be very supportive. They support their adolescent children, the rest of their families, the staffs of their childrens schools, and others around their children. The sense of gratification and contentment that parents receive from fulfilling supportive functions is, in turn, influenced by the support that they, themselves, receive from care providers.

Support for Fathers of Children With Heart Defects

The purpose of the study was to illuminate the meanings of the lived experiences of support as disclosed by fathers of children with congenital heart defect (CHD). Narrative interviews were conducted individually with five fathers of children diagnosed with CHD. A phenomenological-hermeneutic method was used to interpret the verbatim transcribed narrative interviews. The meanings of the lived experiences of support for the fathers were identified in two themes and illustrate the fathers’ feelings of being supported when being in a mutual relationship with others. A third theme illustrates the situation when support is absent. Our findings indicate that support for fathers of children with CHD might be best promoted by the philosophy of family-centered care.

Translation and Testing of the Swedish Version of Iceland-Family Perceived Support Questionnaire With Parents of Children With Congenital Heart Defects

There is a need for a suitable instrument for the Swedish context that could measure family members’ perceptions of cognitive and emotional support received from nurses. The purpose of this study was to translate and test the psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the Iceland-Family Perceived Support Questionnaire (ICE-FPSQ) and, further, to report perceptions of support from nurses by family members of children with congenital heart defects (CHDs). A sample of 97 parents of children with CHD, living in Sweden, completed the Swedish translation of ICE-FPSQ. The Swedish version of ICE-FPSQ was found to be reliable and valid in this context. Parents scored perceived family support provided by nurses working in pediatric outpatient clinics as low, which suggests that nurses in these outpatient contexts in Sweden offered family nursing only sparingly.

Pediatric Nurses’ Perception of Support for Families With Children With Congenital Heart Defects:

The purpose of this study was to illuminate pediatric nurses’ (PNs) perceptions of support for families with a child with a congenital heart defect. The study used a qualitative design with narrative interviews with eight PNs in Northern Sweden, and the interview data were analyzed with content analysis. The analysis revealed that the nurses perceive that letting the parents be involved in their child’s care is of great importance in supporting the families. Although they have a paternalistic attitude to the families, they also stated that nurses should inform the parents about the care of the child, create a good relationship with the family, and build trust among all parties involved.