Abstract
Title: District nurses experience of delegation for compression therapy in home healthcare
Faculty: Health, Science and Technology
Course: OMA 312 Degree project - nursing,15 ECTS
Authors: Malin Ahnstedt och Lina Nilsson
Supervisor: Anna Nordin
Examiner: Maria Harder
Examiner: Birgitta Bisholt
Pages: 31
Date for the examination: October 2018
Key words: Home Health Care, District Nurse, Delegation, Safe care, Compression Therapy
Background: Home healthcare today means increasingly advanced healthcare efforts which place high demands on district nurses' knowledge and leadership. The district nurse handles various medical information to nursing staff based on different regulations and guidelines. The district nurse's also have a central leadership role and will work for a safe care. In Sweden, an increase in chronic leg ulcer is seen which affects both the daily life and the quality of life for the victims. An important part of the treatment of leg ulcers is compression therapy. The district nurse's delegates compression therapy to nursing staff in home care. Purpose: Describe district nurses experience of delegating compression therapy in the home health care. Method: Qualitative interview study with inductive approach that was conducted and analyzed based on qualitative content analysis. 12 district nurses from six different municipalities working in municipal home healthcare were interviewed. Result: Results are presented within two generic categories which were, District nurse's approach to delegation and District nurse's experiences the consequences delegation can lead to. These are described with six subcategories each. Conclusion: The study showed that district nurses performed delegation of compression wound care to nursing staff in different ways, personal or general delegation. In general delegation, the activities do not fully comply with laws, regulations and guidelines and the patient's safety can be adversely affected. Their experience is that knowledge, as well as evidence-based work, is the basis for a safe delegation. The patient's safety and quality of life are influenced by the nursing staff's knowledge and interest in performing the delegated task.