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Social support is known to be essential to cope with the physical and psychological aftermath following coronary heart disease treatment. Consequently, patients experiencing loneliness may be placed in a vulnerable situation. The aim of this study was to provide insight into the nuances and complexity of loneliness and its impact on health behaviour in the early rehabilitation period following treatment. The study used a hermeneutic philosophical approach. Patients classified as lonely were interviewed in either a focus group (n = 7) or in an individual interview (n = 10). We analysed the empirical material using inductive content analysis. The analysis illuminated various dimensions of patients' perceived loneliness; 'Loneliness as an emotional pain', 'A changed, but unmet need for social support' and 'Striving for symmetry in relationships'. Loneliness negatively influenced patients' ability to adapt to the critical event and manage health behaviour changes. Insight into the mechanisms that aggravate loneliness may inform future social support interventions. Social støtte er beskrevet som essentiel i forbindelse med håndteringen af de fysiske og psykiske følger af iskæmisk hjertesygdom. Derfor kan patienter som oplever ensomhed være i en særlig sårbar situation. Formålet med dette kvalitative studie var at opnå en nuanceret indsigt i patients oplevelse af ensomhed, samt hvordan ensomhed influerer på sundhedsadfærd i den tidlige rehabiliteringsperiode efter behandlingen for iskæmisk hjertesygdom. I studiet havde vi en hermeneutisk filosofisk tilgang. Patienter klassificeret som ensomme blev interviewet enten individuelt (n = 10) eller i fokusgruppe (n = 7). Vi analyserede det empiriske materiale med induktiv indholdsanalyse. Analysen tydeliggjorde forskellige dimensioner af patienternes oplevede ensomhed: "Ensomhed som en emotionel smerte", "Et ændret, men ikke imødekommet behov for social støtte", Stræben efter symmetri i relationer". Ensomhed havde en negativ indflydelse på patienternes mulighed for at håndtere den kritiske hændelse og på sundhedsadfærd. En øget indsigt i de mekanismer som forværrer ensomhed, har relevans ved udarbejdelsen af fremtidige sociale støtteinterventioner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To gain knowledge about families' experiences while staying in a hospital family house during their child's hospitalisation. Background: When a child is hospitalised with a chronic, serious or life‐threatening disease, the entire family is stressed as normal everyday life is disrupted. In Denmark, accompanying the ill child to the paediatric wards is often possible only for one of the parents. Design: This qualitative study takes a phenomenological–hermeneutical approach, exploring the lived experience of families' everyday life in a hospital family house. Method: The study comprised semi‐structured interviews with 33 family members from 15 families who stayed in a hospital family house. The interviews were made in the summer of 2017. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist was used as a guideline "see Appendix S1." Results: The families experienced the house as a home or a haven where they could stay together as a family. The house provided a quiet and peaceful environment with space for family life and playing. Overall, this gave the families a feeling of togetherness. Conclusion: The families who stayed in the hospital family house experienced the house as a place to breathe freely, that is, as a safe haven. A place with peace and quietness, without "activity efficiency." In the house, the volunteers offered a very caring and supportive environment including all families in the house and embracing everyday activities. Providing accommodation for the whole family at the hospital family house afforded the family a place where they could stay together and maintain everyday life even though everything around them was, at times, chaotic. Relevance to Clinical Practice: Healthcare professionals should use knowledge about the healing environment to help create havens for families to a hospitalised child. Hospitalised children need safe places where no treatment takes place—therefore, family houses should stay treatment free. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aim: To explore from the perspective of women the nature of basic existential conditions while living with systemic lupus erythematosus. Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus has an unpredictable disease course and is documented to cause an existential rearrangement of life. The significance of changes in existential conditions and related experiences are unclear in the context of nursing and women with systemic lupus erythematosus. Design: A qualitative design guided by Van Manen's hermeneutic‐phenomenological methodology. Method: Individual in‐depth interviews with 15 women diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus and of various ages, disease durations and severities were undertaken from September 2013 ‐ October 2015. Data were analysed following van Manen's phenomenological approach and using drawing as an interpretive tool. Findings: The main existential experience was interpreted as a person “moving with the waves of systemic lupus erythematosus” constituted by the themes “oscillating between presence and absence of systemic lupus erythematosus,” “recognizing space and bodily possibilities and limitations” and “being enriched through relationships and activities.” When systemic lupus erythematosus was flaring, well‐being was threatened and a laborious time to escape the feeling of a setback‐in‐life persisted long after the disease was medically under control. Conclusion: Daily life with systemic lupus erythematosus is conditioned by a prominent need to be in existential motion, related to the absence and presence of systemic lupus erythematosus. The experience of a setback‐in‐life by illness might challenge well‐being and indicates that periods of disease flares or disturbing symptoms are critical time points to provide support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many patients suffering from a neurological disease experience eating difficulties during mealtimes in the hospital. Consequently, they often refrain from eating in public places to avoid potentially awkward situations. Eating is an essential part of life, providing patients with comfort during their hospitalisation. Therefore, attention should be paid to these patients, who encounter eating difficulties to foster a positive mealtime experience. Aim: To study what patients afflicted with a neurological disease experience and assign meaning when participating in mealtimes during hospitalisation. Method: Ten semi‐structured interviews with patients were conducted and recorded. After transcription the text was analysed, and interpreted compromising three methodological steps inspired by the French philosopher, Paul Ricouer. Findings: Three themes were identified through data analysis and interpretation: i) The missing feeling of homeliness, ii) The battle between socialisation vs. isolation, and iii) The sense of time, rhythm, and presence. Conclusions: To patients suffering from a neurological disease, mealtimes are not only a manageable task, but also a part of existential care that leads to positive experience. Aesthetic elements were shown to have the potential of making the patients feel comfortable and homely when hospitalised. This was important, as our study also identified that patients were longing for homeliness when participating in mealtimes during hospitalisation. Relevance to clinical practice: Our findings emphasised the need of proceeding to interventions that includes mealtime assistance and protects the mealtime activity. Hence, it informs hospital organisations of the importance of restructuring mealtime environment, so that existential care can take place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study explores how outpatient children experience the encounter with a hospital clown; a topic which is dimly described in the existing literature. The study had a qualitative design with a phenomenological-hermeneutical approach, and consisted of participant observations of 14 children aged 2-11 years, of whom 10 children aged 5-11 years were interviewed in 2014. Data from the observations and interviews were analysed through a Ricoeur-inspired method of structural analysis. Results of the study show that, the hospital clown being contrasting and unpredictable enables the children to feel free to play. Feeling free to play and receiving a symbolic lucky stone from the hospital clown helps the children to cope with hospitalization. To some children, who become afraid of the hospital clown, it is important that there is a turning point, where the children open up and starts to thrive. In contrast to previous studies, this study shows that, the children are apparently not experiencing anxiety, but instead fear and nervousness. In conclusion, the study highlights the importance of children's play during a hospitalization. Furthermore, health professionals should be aware to children's reaction to a hospital clown and help children to cope with their feelings of being afraid and nervous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]