title: Nurses as seen by patients: a phenomenological study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  during the various periods of the history of the nursing profession, many differing representations of nurses have emerged in the collective imagination. The main purpose of this study, based on a qualitative approach, has been to discover the images of the nurse that patients retain in their minds when receiving care.
  
  
  METHODS
  6 sound-recorded focus groups were created, made up of patients and caregivers. These persons were members of 6 associations. The recordings and observations made were then analysed by adopting a hermeneutic phenomenological approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  6 themes characterising nurses emerged: Training; Between flexibility and personalisation; Organisation and nursing; Continuity in caregiving; Professional maturity; and Relations. While these themes do not provide a uniform definition for the figure of the nurse they do present the profiles that had the greatest impact on persons receiving care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From the experiences collected among the participants in the focus groups, no pre-defined "image" of nurses emerged, and the stereotypes and prejudices described in the literature were also not to be found. Important indications did, in any case, emerge as to the type of nurse these people want, and concerning areas which must be worked on. These indications provide valuable information that, if acted upon, might contribute to the profession's growth and improvement. In brief, there are various planes of activity upon which nurses should concentrate their efforts: training (greater specialisation), organisation (greater flexibility), and the profession (consideration of professional identity in the light of the task of meeting patients' needs).
authors.affiliation: Infermiere Coordinatore -Dipartimento Area Medica - Azienda USL 12 Viareggio - Docente a contratto Università degli Studi di Firenze.
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nannelli
authors.affiliation: Infermiere formatore Agenzia per la Formazione Azienda USL 11 Empoli - Docente a contratto Università degli Studi di Firenze.
authors.forename: Diletta
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Calamassi
authors.affiliation: Infermiere Coordinatore referente per la Formazione Continua Azienda Sanitaria Firenze.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ciucciarelli
authors.affiliation: Infermiera Medicina D'Iniziativa, Azienda Sanitaria Firenze.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Comerci
authors.affiliation: Infermiere formatore Agenzia per la Formazione Azienda USL 11 Empoli -Docente a contratto Università degli Studi di Firenze.
authors.forename: Mara
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fadanelli
authors.affiliation: Coordinatore Direzione Infermieristica Ospedale San Giovanni di Dio di Firenze ASF.
authors.forename: Cruscia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fanfani
authors.affiliation: Antropologo - Direttore Responsabile Laborcare Journal.
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Favero
authors.affiliation: Infermiere Coordinatore Servizio di Emodialisi Ospedale San Giovanni di Dio Firenze.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.affiliation: Infermiere formatore Dipartimento Interistituzionale Azienda Sanitaria Firenze - Docente a contratto Corso di Laurea in Infermieristica.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giovannoni
authors.affiliation: Infermiere Terapia Intesiva Ospedale San Giovanni di Dio Firenze.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Innocenti
authors.affiliation: Sociologa - Direttore Editoriale Laborcare Journal.
authors.forename: Mariella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Orsi
authors.affiliation: Infermiere Coordinatore Direzione Infermieristica Ospedale San Giovanni di Dio Firenze.
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brunetti
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*