How Communication Disharmonies between Patients and Nurses Can Affect Patients—A Qualitative Study of Illness Experienced from the Patients View

Patient-provider interaction is important for cancer patients’ wellbeing and further coping and it might be beneficial to further investigate this in the fast track trajectories. Cancer patients experience themselves as liminal and we aimed to investigate how patients experience healthcare professionals’ attitude with regard to the patients’ own illness experience. Diaries, observation notes, and an elicitation technique supported in the semi-structured interview situations with eight female patients few days after discharge after gynecological cancer surgery were used. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a Ricoeur inspired technique, which started open-minded. Situations with harmony between patients’ experience of their health state and nurses’ signals in this regard were more peaceful and energizing for the patients than situations with disharmony, which gave limbo experiences and drained of energy. The Broaden and Build theory and the Sense of Coherence theory might support our findings. True presence of the nurse is important in order to meet the patient where she is and communicate from there. More evidence based suggestions for future clinical foci are given. Female cancer patients can be vulnerable to healthcare professionals’ small signals regarding the patients’ state of health, and harmony or disharmony between these signals and patients’ own experiences means a difference to their psychological wellbeing. It might also mean a difference to early mobilization.