Abstract
The purpose of this study was to clarify the structure of nursing care to support ego development in patients with schizophrenia. The subjects were three patients in a chronic stage of schizophrenia who were in an mental institution. The patients were provided nursing care following the guidelines of nursing care to support ego development during three and seven months. Data were collected from patient's response to the nursing care and field notes on the entire nursing process were made. Inductive and qualitative analysis has been employed through coding and categorizing procedures from the point of view of ego development. Seven characteristics of nursing care to support ego development were identified as follows: "being with patients" "supporting to express" "focusing on positive side" "showing something alien" "facilitating self-determination". And moreover these were classified two categories. Those were "the nursing care to keep sending a message you're OK" and "the nursing care to support self-reconsideration and self-reorganization". Finally, the structure of nursing care to support ego development on patients with schizophrenia was described by the proportion of two types of nursing care.
