Patients’ Lived Experiences of the Paternalistic Care Behavior: A Qualitative study

The major role of nurses in caring for patients puts them in a position where they can feel a sense of independence or lack of autonomy in dealing with patients throughout their actions. The present study aimed to explain patients’ lived experiences of paternalistic care behaviors.

This qualitative research was conducted with the design of hermeneutic phenomenology consistent with Heidegger’s philosophical view and using the purposeful sampling method. Data richness was achieved after 13 interviews with 7 patients who had been hospitalized and received care in the hospitals of Tehran, Iran. The data were collected during 8 months (November 2020-June 2021) using an unstructured interview and analyzed using Diekelmann et al seven‐step approach with MAXQDA version 10 software.

Data analyses revealed four themes, thirteen sub-themes, and one constitutive pattern (duality of support and suppression of independence) forming the structure of patients’ lived experience of paternalistic caring behaviors. The themes included (1) Support at helplessness, (2) Inflexibility (3) Vague awareness, and (4) Despair due to lack of autonomy.

The meanings discovered in this research revealed that patients have dual emotions regarding paternalistic care behavior. On the one hand, they are pleased with the care provided, but on the other hand, they feel desperate and unable to make decisions due to being deprived of their independence. We can see the creation of new ethical values in care behaviors. Performing supportive care behavior with emphasis on patient participation should be considered as a key ethical principle in patient care.