To Örebro University

Nurses play an important role in supporting patients in self-managing their chronic conditions. However, it is uncertain how nurses define their success and what might create feelings of disillusionment. This exploratory qualitative study sought to understand the origin, meanings, and processes underlying nurses' feelings of success in supporting patients to self-manage their life with a chronic illness. Semi-structured interviews were held with 16 nurses who were purposively sampled. Data were iteratively collected and analyzed (November 2017-September 2018). The origin and meaning of nurses' feelings of success in supporting patients in self-management converged around the intertwining of "maintaining and promoting health" as a primary goal in chronic care, while an "intrapersonal conflict" arises. Patients maintaining physical health by optimal medical management boost nurses' feelings of success, whereas patients dealing with sub-optimally provoke "an intrapersonal conflict". When nurses observe unhealthy patient behavior, this is difficult to accept as it conflicts with their normative ideas of good care and health. Nurses' perception of success is refined by three interconnected processes, namely "keeping on track", "considering own role," and "protecting self". Nurses experienced and processed success differently depending on whether they interacted with patients from a more directive approach or an attuning approach. This study highlighted the fact that nurses expect compliance from patients, and thereby often feel empty-handed. By adopting a broader perspective of what successful patient behavior is, nurses might be able to provide a more comprehensive meaning to their own success regarding the care of patients living with a chronic illness.