Background

When women have breast pain this usually is not associated with myocardial infarction, which results in that they get less attention and wrong treatment. The nurse has an important role in informing and educating patients and families during hospitalization, which is usually short. Continuous training, written information and repetition for patient and family throughout the hospital stay are of considerable importance to clarify that the patient understands and to reduce the anxiety of being discharged.

Aim

The aim is to describe nurses' experiences of caring for older women with myocardial infarction.

Methods

A qualitative method was used. The collection of data was done by six interviews with nurses in geriatric care and elderly care. Dataset has been processed based on a content analysis and divided into subcategories and main categories using meaningful units.

Results

Not having knowledge of older women with myocardial infarction was expressed as frustrating and nurses described how they were afraid to ask their colleagues. Some of the nurses experienced the opposite, they felt safe in their professional role and had confidence to ask. The nurses experienced difficulties in caring for older women with myocardial infarction because they often had multiple illnesses and was not fully oriented. Perceptions of stress, nervousness and depression were described as part of caring. Making time for reflection was of great importance to cope with stressful care situations.

Discussions

The results highlight the fact that some nurses experienced stress, it can be difficult to utilize the patient's life world and have a holistic approach in caring when it's a stressful work situation. The study has highlighted different experiences nurses may face in caring for the older woman with myocardial infarction. To get an understanding of these experiences may contribute to a better understanding of what resources are needed to be taken to improve care for these women.