Patients' experiences of shared decision-making in nursing care: A qualitative study.

AIM: To explore patients' experiences of shared decision-making, in nursing care during their stay in a healthcare institution.

DESIGN: This study employed a qualitative descriptive design.

METHODS: Twenty participants were interviewed from two rehabilitation centres, a nephrology ward of a hospital, and a rehabilitation ward of a long-term care facility. A constant comparative method was used for the inductive analysis.

RESULTS: The main theme was 'feeling seen and understood', in the context of person-centred care, which served as the unifying thread across five themes. The five themes included the importance of a positive nurse-patient relationship as a foundation for shared decision-making. Next, patients experienced collaboration, and this was influenced by verbal and non-verbal communication. Another theme was that patients often felt overwhelmed during their stay, affecting shared decision-making. The fourth theme was that many decisions were not made through the shared decision-making process but were still perceived as satisfactory. The final theme highlighted patients' perspectives on their role in decision-making and influencing factors.

CONCLUSION: Patients describe how feeling seen and understood is a prerequisite for shared decision-making as a part of person-centred care. For nurses, this implies that they should focus on aspects such as building a good relationship and acknowledgement of patients' feelings and circumstances, next to empowering patients to feel knowledgeable and valued. This way patient's motivation to participate in shared decision-making will be enhanced.

REPORTING METHOD: Following the EQUATOR guidelines, reporting was guided by the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ).

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Patients were involved in the study through interviews during the research process and member checks during analysis.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: Before initiating shared decision-making processes, prioritise making the patient feel seen and understood. Be mindful that patients often feel overwhelmed during their stay. Use a person-centred approach to make patients feel knowledgeable-this empowers them for shared decision-making.

IMPACT: Research on patients' experiences of shared decision-making in nursing care is limited, yet crucial for understanding patients' needs in shared decision-making. This study highlights patients' perceptions that shared decision-making is best facilitated within the nurse-patient relationship by nurses who primarily focus on ensuring that patients feel acknowledged and understood.