title: Care in the context of the complexity of psoriasis.
abstract: Previous research has demonstrated the multidimensional challenges of living with psoriasis and dermatology wards provide a unique setting in which to reach people strongly affected by this disease. The aim of this study is to determine the components of care that psoriasis patients and dermatology nurses consider to be important during hospitalization. A purposeful sample of seven psoriasis inpatients and seven dermatology nurses were interviewed in depth during a 3-month period in 2006-2007. The data are analyzed with a modified version of Giorgi's phenomenological method. Patients consider hospitalization a relief from everyday life with psoriasis and describe its treatment as the focus of nursing care. Despite their knowledge of the psychosocial aspects of psoriasis, nurses consider the physical manifestations of the disease most important. The patients' descriptions of the challenges in their everyday lives illustrate an area of concern among psoriasis inpatients that is not actively addressed by nursing care.
authors.affiliation: University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. rob@hib.no
authors.forename: Ragnhild Øye
authors.initials: RØ
authors.lastname: Bjarkøy
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gjengedal
authors.forename: Astrid K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Wahl
mesh_terms: D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*