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Background: Haemodialysis therapy is one form of treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Patients have to adhere to a strict regimen of dialysis, dietary and fluid restrictions, and medications., Aim: This study explores the experiences of 16 people with ESRD undergoing hospital-based haemodialysis therapy., Method: A small-scale study using a phenomenological method was carried out. A total of 16 patients were interviewed and qualitative interpretive analysis was used., Results: The theme 'communicating with nurses: reality versus myth' was created from the analysis of the interview data. Participants indicated that nurses rarely communicated with them during dialysis. The only time nurses seemed to approach participants was to manage the physical and technical aspects of care., Conclusion: This study will hopefully increase nurses' awareness of the importance of effective communication in providing supportive care to patients with renal disease.

Partnership and empowerment are very much in vogue. In this paper the authors question whether the rhetoric of partnership matches the reality as experienced by families of children with special needs. Research in this area is reviewed and models of good practice are examined.