Autonomy has become an important focus within healthcare in Norway. The head nurse has a key strategic role and responsibility for the care of older people in nursing homes. With this in mind, it is important to focus on how the head nurse relates to the principles of autonomy in nursing home.
Purpose:
To describe how head nurses relate to the principles of autonomy in nursing homes, and their experiences of obstacles and solutions regarding autonomy in every day practice.
Method:
Data was obtained from interviews with twelve head nurses in six local and two private nursing homes in Norway and analyzed with content analyze.
Findings:
Autonomy was described as the individuals' right to have influence on their own care. The resident's autonomy can be limited by factors related to the resident, staff, and the environment. The head nurse can improve the resident's autonomy by acquiring knowledge about the resident, influencing the staff's attitudes, expert knowledge and language.
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