<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec><h3>Background</h3>
<p>The complexity of multiple sclerosis (MS) due to psychological, emotional, physical, family, and social dimensions complicates the care of these patients. MS patients need hospitalizations and long-term care to treat and control the progression of the disease. Therefore, the competence of caring for MS patients is one of the important issues in clinical nursing.</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Objective</h3>
<p>To explain the dimensions of competence in caring for MS patients.</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Methods</h3>
<p>This study is a qualitative descriptive study using conventional content analysis method. Field notes and semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted on 12 specialist nurses of MS and 3 MS patients from the neurology ward. Participants were selected through purposeful sampling. Data analysis was performed using the approach of Zhang and Wildemuth by continuous comparison simultaneously with data collections.</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Results</h3>
<p>Data analysis led to the extraction of 2 categories with 5 subcategories. The first category is “unlearned care competence,” with the subcategories as psychological–emotional resilience, psychological skills, and excellent communication skills. The second category is “specialized technical competence,” with the subcategories as up-to-date pathological knowledge and expertise in clinical procedures.</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Conclusions</h3>
<p>Identifying the competencies of nurses of MS patients is important for educating nurses to provide qualified care and improve MS patient satisfaction. Nursing managers can empower nurses in non-technical areas such as in-service psychology courses and improve professionalism in caring for MS patients by promoting communication and specific clinical skills.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Background
The complexity of multiple sclerosis (MS) due to psychological, emotional, physical, family, and social dimensions complicates the care of these patients. MS patients need hospitalizations and long-term care to treat and control the progression of the disease. Therefore, the competence of caring for MS patients is one of the important issues in clinical nursing.

Objective
To explain the dimensions of competence in caring for MS patients.

Methods
This study is a qualitative descriptive study using conventional content analysis method. Field notes and semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted on 12 specialist nurses of MS and 3 MS patients from the neurology ward. Participants were selected through purposeful sampling. Data analysis was performed using the approach of Zhang and Wildemuth by continuous comparison simultaneously with data collections.

Results
Data analysis led to the extraction of 2 categories with 5 subcategories. The first category is “unlearned care competence,” with the subcategories as psychological–emotional resilience, psychological skills, and excellent communication skills. The second category is “specialized technical competence,” with the subcategories as up-to-date pathological knowledge and expertise in clinical procedures.

Conclusions
Identifying the competencies of nurses of MS patients is important for educating nurses to provide qualified care and improve MS patient satisfaction. Nursing managers can empower nurses in non-technical areas such as in-service psychology courses and improve professionalism in caring for MS patients by promoting communication and specific clinical skills.

Explaining the dimensions of specific competence in training specialist nurses in multiple sclerosis: a qualitative study

Chronic Diseases (Home Care) Research Center

Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery

Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing

Frontiers of Nursing

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Background
The complexity of multiple sclerosis (MS) due to psychological, emotional, physical, family, and social dimensions complicates the care of these...

Characteristics	Number
Position
Head nurse	2
Staff nurse	10
Work experience (years)
1–5	2
5–10	4
10≥	6
Types of hospitals
Teaching hospital	5
Private hospital	7
Educational level
Bachelor's degree	10
Master degree	2

Categories and subcategories	Example of coding
Unlearned care competence
Psychological-emotional resilience	High self-control in the patients aggressive behaviors; good manners; being patient
Psychological skills	Be compassionate; having mental health; psychological resilience
Excellent communication skills	Good skills participating in teamwork; humanitarian communication with the patient; detecting the patients hidden fears and anxieties; active listening; high emotional intelligence; being physically and mentally supportive of the patient; building trust in the patient
Specialized technical competence
Up-to-date pathological knowledge	Knowing the specialized information of the disease; having complete pharmacological information; proper knowledge of injecting MS drugs
Expertise in clinical procedures	Accurate knowledge of injectable and oral MS protocols; information on the side effects of MS drugs; high skill in venipuncture and catheterization; skills in performing invasive procedures without causing more pain

Explaining the dimensions of specific competence in training specialist nurses in multiple sclerosis: a qualitative study

Article Category: Original Article

Publié en ligne: 09 oct. 2022

Pages: 311 - 317

Reçu: 26 janv. 2022

Accepté: 18 mars 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fon-2022-0040

Mots clés
competence, multiple sclerosis, nurse, patients, qualitative study

© 2022 Banafshe Samari et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Characteristics of the participants (N = 12).

Subcategories and categories.

Explaining the dimensions of specific competence in training specialist nurses in multiple sclerosis: a qualitative study

Article Category: Original Article

Publié en ligne: 09 oct. 2022

Pages: 311 - 317

Reçu: 26 janv. 2022

Accepté: 18 mars 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fon-2022-0040

Mots cléscompetence, multiple sclerosis, nurse, patients, qualitative study

© 2022 Banafshe Samari et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Characteristics of the participants (N = 12).

Subcategories and categories.

Mots clés
competence, multiple sclerosis, nurse, patients, qualitative study