Nurses' narrations about caring for inpatients with acute myocardial infarction

The purpose of this study was to examine the meaning of lived experiences of caring for people affected by acute myocardial infarction. Thirty-four registered nurses at a Coronary Care Unit in the north of Sweden narrated their experiences of this specialized care of inpatients. The interview texts were transcribed and then interpreted using a phenomenological-hermeneutic method, inspired by the philosophy of Ricoeur. Two groups of texts were identified. One comprised 'narratives about the patient' within which were the themes: 'distancing oneself from what is happening' and 'showing oneself as vulnerable'. The other was 'narratives about caring', with the themes: 'reading of', 'adapting', 'coming close' and 'helping'. Various views on caring were disclosed and interpreted with reference to Martin Buber's philosophy. A comprehensive understanding of caring as oscillations between the poles distance and relation was formulated.