Exploration of nurses’ perception about professionalism in home care nursing in Iran: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Professionalism is one of the basic concepts of home care nursing, as a growing model of community-based nursing. This phenomenon results from the nurse-patient interaction in home and community environments with multiple dimensions. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the professional experiences of home care nurses in Iran. METHODS: In this study, the qualitative content analysis method was used based on the 2004 Graneheim & Lundman approach. The study was conducted between September 2016 and September 2017 in Khorasan Razavi province, Iran. Participants were selected by Purposeful Sampling. The main method of data collection was semi-structured interviews with 21 nurses who had home-based care experience. Eventually, after reaching saturation, the data were analyzed in-depth. RESULTS: In total, 3 main categories and 11 subcategories were extracted. Generally, nurses considered the concept of professionalism in home care nursing by attention to basic values, social capital, and maintaining quality and standards of care. CONCLUSION: Professionalism in home care nursing is one of today’s challenges in the health system of the country, and professionalism requires more attention and conditions for its prosperity.