Projektets övergripande syfte  Projektets övergripande syfte är att belysa människans upplevelse av att leva med en allvarlig, kronisk sjukdom, utifrån den sjuka personens, den närståendes och distriktssköterskans perspektiv.   Kort beskrivning av projektet  Detta projekt fokuserar på människans subjektiva upplevelser i det dagliga livet hemma av att leva med allvarlig kronisk sjukdom, hur sjukdomen har förändrat henne/honom i sina egna och andras ögon och hur den har förändrat de närståendes liv. Denna kvalitativa studie, som består av tre delstudier visade att den sjuka människans kropp hade blivit en motståndare i det dagliga livet. Detta medförde att hon hade förlorat sitt oberoende att handla som en fullfärdig människa, en medvetenhet om att vara ensam i sin sjukdom och att sjukdomen var ett hot mot livet. Livet pendlade mellan hopp och förtvivlan, men det innehöll även en strävan efter lindring och normalisering. Studien visade också att de närstående levde ett krympande liv, de kände ett inre krav att ensamt bära ansvaret över sin sjuka anhöriga och att de fick kämpa för att orka fortsätta. En nära relation mellan människan med den allvarliga sjukdomen, dennes närstående och distriktssköterskan visade ha en stor betydelse för hur sjukdomen upplevdes av alla berörda och hur denna relation påverkade upplevelsen av lindring och tröst i lidande. Hemmet var den gemensamma platsen, där den nära relationen växte fram och gav en känsla av samhörighet, som öppnade möjligheten till gemenskap och lindring. Denna samhörighet gjorde att distriktssköterskan med sin närvaro blev tillgänglig att hjälpa och stödja uthärdande och lindra både lidande och ensamhet hos människor med allvarlig kronisk sjukdom och hos deras närstående. 

We studied the experiences of two people with serious chronic illness who used information and communication technology (ICT) to communicate with their district nurse. The study was a qualitative case study. The intervention was performed using an electronic messaging program. The program was accessible to any computer with an Internet connection. The programme consisted of different virtual rooms, where people could communicate using text messages. The participants used the program 2-4 times each week from the beginning of November 2003 to February 2004. Semistructured interviews were performed before, during and after the intervention and were analysed using thematic content analysis. The results showed that the participants' communication with the district nurse was improved because of easy accessibility and that they felt increased security. They also felt there were fewer limitations and that their everyday life was improved, which can also be seen as an improvement in care

BACKGROUND: In the homecare setting, district nurses assume a heavy responsibility and are involved in a variety of care activities. They view themselves as having a central role in care at home that centres on the development of a relationship with those who are ill and their families. AIM: The aim of this study was to elucidate the meaning of district nurses experiences of encounters with people with serious chronic illness and their close relatives in their homes. A purposive sample of 10 district nurses (female) was interviewed using a narrative approach. METHOD: To achieve the aim, a phenomenological hermeneutic interpretation inspired by the philosophy of Ricoeur was used to interpret the interview text. RESULTS: This study proposes that district nurses' experiences of encounters with people with serious chronic illness and their close relatives in their homes can be understood as district nurses being welcomed into the ill people's privacy, to share their intimacy and their understanding of being ill. This close relationship enables them to alleviate and to console the suffering and loneliness caused by illness. This is expressed in the three themes: being in a close relationship, sharing an understanding and weaving a web of protection. CONCLUSION: It seems that by being entirely present, in a close relationship, district nurses share the experiences of illness and through interpretation of the whole persons' expressions; they share an understanding of this illness experience. In this close relationship, at the home of the ill people and their close relatives, district nurses are available to alleviate people's suffering and loneliness caused by illness. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study reveals the need to be entirely present in encounters between the district nurses and people with serious chronic illness and their close relatives. This relation makes it possible to establish a shared understanding of the illness experience. Being aware of the importance of this shared understanding within a relationship, will increase the health care personnel's possibility to alleviate and console those suffering of illness. This proposed interpretation could be useful for reflection of care interventions, in education and supervision of district nurses.