Support supplied by Parkinson's disease specialist nurses to Parkinson's disease patients and their spouses.

AIM The purpose of the study was to identify the role of the Parkinson's disease specialist nurse in providing support both for people with Parkinson's disease (PD) and their spouses. BACKGROUND PD is a neurodegenerative disease with symptoms that affect many aspects of daily life. In Sweden, specialised nurses called Parkinson's disease specialist nurses (PD specialist nurses) have been working for over a decade to support PD patients and their families. METHOD A qualitative approach was taken using dyad interviews with each PD patient and spouse. The analysis was conducted using conventional qualitative content analysis. FINDINGS The analysis resulted in the identification of one overarching category; competent, professional practice, tailored for the individual. Four categories: professional competence, nursing practice, continuity of contact and emotional support, are distinct but related to each other and show different nuances of the same phenomenon. CONCLUSION The work of PD specialist nurses in providing support to PD patients and their relatives should be tailored to individual patients and their families as well as including skilled nursing care to relieve the impact of the disease on daily life.