To be referred to care in forensic psychiatric services can be seen as one of the most comprehensive encroachments society can impose upon a person's life, as it entails a limitation of the individual's freedom with no time limit. This study focuses upon patients' experiences of their life situation in forensic psychiatric wards. Using a Reflective Lifeworld Research approach founded in phenomenology, we analysed 11 qualitative interviews with patients cared for on a maximum security unit in a Swedish forensic psychiatric service. Results show how forensic psychiatric care can be non-caring with only moments of good care, from the patient's perspective. By using different strategies, the patients attempt to adapt to the demands of the caregivers in order to gain privileges. At the same time the patients are lacking meaningful and close relationships and long to get away from the system of forensic care. Being cared for entails struggling against an approaching overwhelming sense of resignation.

This study focused on older patients participating in a team meeting (TM) in a hospital ward in Sweden. A process had taken place on the ward, in which the traditional round had developed into a TM and understanding what participating in a TM means for the older patient is necessary for the development of care that facilitates older patient's participation. The aim of this study was to describe the caring, as experienced by the older patients on a ward for older persons, with a specific focus on the team meeting. A reflective lifeworld research (RLR) design was used. Fifteen patients, 12 women and three men (mean age of 82 years) were interviewed while they were hospitalized in a hospital ward for older people. In the essential meaning of the phenomenon, the TM is described as being a part of a wider context of both caring and life. The need for hospitalization is an emotional struggle to overcome vulnerability and regain everyday freedom. The way in which the professionals are able to confirm vulnerability and create a caring relationship affects both the struggle for well-being and the possibilities for maintaining dignity. The essence is further explicated through its constituents; Vulnerability limits life; Life is left in the hands of someone else; Life is a whole and Space for existence. The result raises concern about how the care needs to be adjusted to older people's needs as lived bodies. The encounter between the carer and the patient needs to be developed in order to get away from the view of the patient as object. An expanded vision may open up for existential dimensions of what brings meaning to life. One way, as described by the patients, is via the patient's life stories, through which the patients can be seen as a whole human being.

Background: Clinical studies have an important position in Nursing Education, it is thus important to develop the learning strategies of students in order to facilitate their learning process during the clinical practice. The aim of the study is to describe the process of students' learning towards their profession, when supported by supervision in pairs.Methods: Data has been collected through interviews of students during their clinical studies. The study has been carried out with a Reflective Lifeworld Research (RLR) approach founded on phenomenological traditions. The clinical settings are based on the model of the Developing and Learning Care Unit that has a structure that supports students in their learning towards becoming nurses. Results:Results show that structured supervision is favourable for students learning, where pair of students, space and time play a significant role. The results are illustrated in following themes: The significance of responsibility for learning, the strength and sensitivity in pairs of students, the focus on doing, the significance of the attitude of the supervisor, the vulnerability and potential of the learning environment and Reflection as a possibility and a pre-requisite. Conclusions:The study shows that the conduct of supervising in pair of students is of great importance for students' learning and it is thus important to develop a reflective supervising approach and also knowledge of how to support students' learning.

The Mental Health Care reform in Sweden aimed, among other things, to improve the possibilities for persons with mental illnesses to experience companionship and participation in society. The aim of the study was to describe how persons suffering from mental illness perceive their relationships with nursing staff in local authority psychiatric services. Data were collected through semi-structured recorded interviews with 17 strategically chosen clients. A qualitative approach inspired by phenomenography was used to analyse the data. The analysis resulted in four main categories and 13 subcategories. The main categories were: security, companionship, confirmation and development.

Although the importance of patient participation is acknowledged in today’s healthcare, many challenges remain before patient participation can become an integral part of care provision. The ward round has traditionally been the forum for crucial decisions about patient care, but often with limited possibilities for patient participation. As part of the process of improving patient participation, the round in the present study has been replaced by a team meeting (TM) to which the patient has been invited. The aim of this study is to highlight nurses’ experiences of older patients’ participation in TMs. The research process was guided by the principles of phenomenological reflective life world research. Data were collected in a Swedish hospital, in a ward specializing in older patients. Nine nurses, who had invited and planned for a patient to participate in TMs and/or had experienced TMs in which patients participated, were interviewed. The essential meaning of patient participation in the TM, as experienced by the nurses, is that patient participation can be supported by a safe relationship in which the patient can make his or her voice heard. Participation is challenged by the patients’ vulnerability and by the subordinated role assigned to the patient. The essential meaning is further described by its constituents: “the need for a guide,” “patient participation challenged by structures,” and “creating space for the whole human being.” In conclusion, the nurse plays a core role in guiding the patient in an unfamiliar situation. The meaning of patient participation in the TM needs to be discussed by professionals so that the patient perspective is present.