Caring for stroke patients: heavy or exciting?

Nurses who work with the same patient population attach common meanings to what caring for their patients entails. This qualitative study uncovered two common meanings among nurses caring for stroke patients--the concepts of heaviness and excitement. Heaviness reflected particular demands associated with characteristics of stroke patients and the context of the care. Excitement reflected meaningfulness and satisfaction. Heaviness and excitement were general characteristics of the work rather than attitudes toward particular patients. They were not mutually exclusive; feelings of heaviness coexisted with involvement, commitment and excitement.