Difficulties Experienced By Nurses In Eldercare Institutions: A Qualitative Study.

Introduction: There is little known about difficulties nurses experience while caring for Albanian older people. The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges faced by nurses and to explore the current situation in Albanian eldercare institutions. Method: An explorative qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 15 nurses, and participant observation in 7 eldercare institutions. The transcribed interviews and field notes were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Three main categories emerged: (1) Professional difficulties, (2) Institutional and management issues, and (3) Eldercare institutional infrastructure. Discussion: Our findings provided insights into the difficulties nurses face while giving eldercare, such as everyday caring and institutional management challenges. These findings suggest that more training is needed for nurses and a new infrastructure for eldercare for Albania.