Table 2 Relation between main categories, code grouping, and empirical codes, examples

To be vigilant

1. All the work we do/ keeping track/ no written instructions

There’s so much to think about, keep track of, and organise that other people don’t understand.

We have to go through the discharge summaries to see if there’s anything unusual.

We always have to look through the discharge summary and check and compare.

It’s hard to describe the roundabout way you have to go from when a problem appears until it’s solved.

2. Working with medicine

Working with medicines means lots of roundabout steps.

3. Nurse in charge/ home care management

Being the nurse in charge is a headache, with lots of phone calls and lots to organise.

4. Organisation

There’s so much bureaucracy with all the things on those lists.

5. Competence/ profession

Now we have a lot more hospital work than before, I hardly know what it’s all called and there’s lots I didn’t learn in college.

To be an all- rounder

1. All the work we do/ keeping track/ no written instructions

It’s not written down anywhere how we can make the work go smoothly.

2. Working with medicine

The patient won’t get his medicine if we don’t borrow some. So that’s what we have to do in a situation like that, we improvise…

3. Nurse in charge/ home care management

If I’m the nurse in charge, I get loads of phone calls. All of them, and I have to write reports and so on.

4. Organisation

There’s no money for me to have office days, so I take on responsibilities off the cuff when there’s time.

They expected us to know how to do everything, take shifts at the nursing home, or be moved somewhere with a need, whatever it was.

5. Competence/ profession

We do much more for patients in their homes than we used to, like home death, and pain pumps, and we now have both young and old patients.

To act with independence

1. All the work we do/ keeping track/ no written instructions

We have to do what the patient needs.

2. Working with medicine

Luckily, we can borrow medicines at the nursing home even though that’s not allowed, but that’s how patients get their medicine.

The patient won’t get his medicine if we don’t borrow some. So that’s what we have to do in a situation like that, we improvise…

3. Nurse in charge/ home care management

It’s important to be responsible as a professional, and my role is to make it clear when enough is enough.

4. Organisation

Our work varies a lot over time.

There’s no money for me to have office days, so I take on responsibilities off the cuff when there’s time.

5. Competence/ profession

We do much more for patients in their homes than we used to, like home death, and pain pumps and we now have both young and old patients.