Når patienter indlægges til pleje og behandling i eget hjem, øges den sygeplejefaglige kompleksitet

As the health care system becomes more efficient and the elderly population is growing, a greater number of nursing tasks are being relocated to homecare nursing. This article reports on the experiences of homecare nurses in providing care to patients who are discharged from hospital and receive care and treatment at their own home, whilst the treatment responsibility remains with the hospital. A semi-structured group interview was conducted with three homecare nurses from a small Danish municipality, who had cared for patients receiving care and treatment at home. The interview was analysed following the principles of text analyses. Three themes were identified: 1) Benefits of providing care to patients who receive care and treatment in their own home, 2) The collaboration with the hospital depends on the nurse’s initiative 3) There must be a balance between responsibility, nursing skills and professional judgment. The study showed that the nurses found care and treatment in the patients’ own homes beneficial when well-coordinated. Professional dilemmas arose when the patient’s need for nursing exceeded the municipality’s resources. Specialized nursing led to the need for skills development in »technological and instrumental skills«. Dialogue and alignment of expectations between sectors was described as essential and when lacking could have a negative impact on trust and the relationship with the patient and relatives.