Experiences of men in chronic illness without healthcare: implications for nursing care

Abstract

Objective: to describe the implications for nursing care based on the experiences of men with chronic illness in health care. Method: Descriptive, qualitative study, conducted with 19 men who are followed up at the Family Health Unit, inserted in the HIPERDIA program, in the city of Bahia, Brazil. An in-depth individual interview was carried out, systematic observation of men's visits to the unit and a survey of the implications for nursing care. The data were analyzed using the Collective Subject Discourse (DSC) method, from the perspective of the theoretical framework approached by NANDA –Internacional®, based on Taxonomy II.  Results: we identified clinical findings adherent to Nursing Diagnostics, which imply contributions to Nursing care, unveiled from the experiences of men with non-transmissible chronic illness, namely: Willingness to improve health control; Willingness to improve self-care; Deficient knowledge; Provision for improved family processes; Sexual dysfunction; Change stress syndrome; Willingness for improved spiritual well-being and Chronic pain. Conclusion: men showed an improved disposition for health and self-care, family processes and relationships, deficient knowledge about the disease that they carry, a feeling of helplessness due to the impossibility of carrying out daily activities, previously performed, manifestation of fear, associated with the possibilities complications resulting from the condition, stress due to changes in past habits acquired throughout life, sexual dysfunction and chronic pain related to the clinical manifestations of the disease and spirituality as an instrument of complementary therapeutic assistance.