Patient Awareness of Collaboration with Nurses in the Self-management of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract

　Objective : The study aimed to elucidate the awareness and expectations of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus （SLE） regarding collaboration with nurses in the acquisition of self-management skills.

　Methods : Ten patients with SLE cooperated in the study, and semi-structured interviews were conducted. Interview content included awareness and expectations regarding collaboration with nurses, and the results were analyzed qualitatively and inductively.

　Results : The patients indicated that they “trust physicians with expertise in the disease” and, in regard to nurses, that “relationships with nurses affect the feasibility of collaboration”. In addition, because it is the patients themselves who must live with SLE, the patients “made their own efforts and adjustments in life”, and thought that “it is necessary to be able to describe the course of the illness up to this point from the patient perspective”. Furthermore, the patients had the following expectations of nurses: “I want to talk about life after discharge and the future”, “I want nurses to understand my disease and recuperation”, “I want a place where I can have casual discussions”, and “I want to improve my recuperation by talking to a nurse”.

　Discussion : These findings indicate that in order to establish collaborative relationships between patients with SLE and nurses, it is necessary for nurses to be familiar with the pathology and treatment of SLE and to have sufficient knowledge to determine its prognosis, and to aim to establish collaborative relationships based on awareness of the roles of patients and nurses.