Confidence as a factor in chronic illness care

Confidence is generally regarded as a positive quality which enhances personal coping and success. For those who are chronically ill and face a life of uncertainty, confidence becomes especially important. In a recent qualitative study examining chronically ill patients' perceptions of nursing care, confidence was found to be the grand essence which tied together all the informants' experiences with good nursing care. The informants entered the hospital with the expectation that the nurses would and could look after them. Observing and receiving good nursing care reinforced this confidence. In addition to this, the informants referred to confidence that was developed by the interest and value the nurses placed on the patient as an individual. Showing an interest in the patient as an individual gave the patient confidence in self-worth and in personal coping ability. These two sources of confidence combined to give the informants confidence in their futures. In the nursing literature the exploration of the concept of confidence is minimal. This paper discusses confidence as a factor in the care of the chronically ill using data from the study for illustration.