Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on factors influencing provision of chronic care self-management support by nurses: an exploratory qualitative study from the South Asian context

Abstract Background Nurses play a critical role in supporting the self-management of patients with chronic illnesses. However, there is a lack of evidence on this important topic from the South Asian context. This study aimed to understand what influences nurses’ role in the provision of self-manage...

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Main Authors: Ambreen Tharani, Ann Van Hecke, Tazeen Saeed Ali, Veerle Duprez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:BMC Nursing
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03457-3
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author Ambreen Tharani
Ann Van Hecke
Tazeen Saeed Ali
Veerle Duprez
author_facet Ambreen Tharani
Ann Van Hecke
Tazeen Saeed Ali
Veerle Duprez
author_sort Ambreen Tharani
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Nurses play a critical role in supporting the self-management of patients with chronic illnesses. However, there is a lack of evidence on this important topic from the South Asian context. This study aimed to understand what influences nurses’ role in the provision of self-management support in chronic care within the South Asian context. Methods An exploratory, descriptive qualitative study was conducted at two private university hospitals and one public university hospital in Pakistan. Purposive sampling was employed. Fifty-four healthcare professionals, with at least one year of experience in chronic non-communicable disease care, participated. Data were collected using a self-developed semi-structured interview guide. Seven focus groups (with nurses and nursing faculty) and 16 individual interviews (with nurse managers and physicians) were conducted. Thematic analysis was done. We adhered to the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative studies (COREQ) for reporting the current study. Results Nurses’ supportive role in chronic illness self-management appears to be influenced by interdependent external and internal factors. Their motivation to perform supportive roles seems fragile and heavily dependent on external factors. Amongst the other factors, due to the institutions’ narrow perspective on self-management support, nurses face a mismatch between their expected and documented roles. Moreover, trust in positioning nurses in a supportive role seems superficial and situation-driven. Conclusions The factors influencing nurses’ supportive role in self-management reflected a unique perspective from the South Asian context. The study suggests implementing measures that can be undertaken at the nurses and healthcare system levels, to strengthen nurses’ role in the provision of self-management support in chronic care, in the South Asian context. It also emphasizes the need for training interventions to increase nurses’ motivation and self-efficacy, and to reduce their reliance on external factors affecting on their role performance. Clinical trial number Not applicable.
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spelling doaj-art-e324eb441be4454591d330555a91e8322025-08-20T03:37:20ZengBMCBMC Nursing1472-69552025-07-0124111210.1186/s12912-025-03457-3Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on factors influencing provision of chronic care self-management support by nurses: an exploratory qualitative study from the South Asian contextAmbreen Tharani0Ann Van Hecke1Tazeen Saeed Ali2Veerle Duprez3School of Nursing and Midwifery, Aga Khan UniversityDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent UniversitySchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Aga Khan UniversityGhent University HospitalAbstract Background Nurses play a critical role in supporting the self-management of patients with chronic illnesses. However, there is a lack of evidence on this important topic from the South Asian context. This study aimed to understand what influences nurses’ role in the provision of self-management support in chronic care within the South Asian context. Methods An exploratory, descriptive qualitative study was conducted at two private university hospitals and one public university hospital in Pakistan. Purposive sampling was employed. Fifty-four healthcare professionals, with at least one year of experience in chronic non-communicable disease care, participated. Data were collected using a self-developed semi-structured interview guide. Seven focus groups (with nurses and nursing faculty) and 16 individual interviews (with nurse managers and physicians) were conducted. Thematic analysis was done. We adhered to the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative studies (COREQ) for reporting the current study. Results Nurses’ supportive role in chronic illness self-management appears to be influenced by interdependent external and internal factors. Their motivation to perform supportive roles seems fragile and heavily dependent on external factors. Amongst the other factors, due to the institutions’ narrow perspective on self-management support, nurses face a mismatch between their expected and documented roles. Moreover, trust in positioning nurses in a supportive role seems superficial and situation-driven. Conclusions The factors influencing nurses’ supportive role in self-management reflected a unique perspective from the South Asian context. The study suggests implementing measures that can be undertaken at the nurses and healthcare system levels, to strengthen nurses’ role in the provision of self-management support in chronic care, in the South Asian context. It also emphasizes the need for training interventions to increase nurses’ motivation and self-efficacy, and to reduce their reliance on external factors affecting on their role performance. Clinical trial number Not applicable.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03457-3AsianChronic diseaseHealth prioritiesMotivationNurse’s roleQualitative research
spellingShingle Ambreen Tharani
Ann Van Hecke
Tazeen Saeed Ali
Veerle Duprez
Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on factors influencing provision of chronic care self-management support by nurses: an exploratory qualitative study from the South Asian context
BMC Nursing
Asian
Chronic disease
Health priorities
Motivation
Nurse’s role
Qualitative research
title Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on factors influencing provision of chronic care self-management support by nurses: an exploratory qualitative study from the South Asian context
title_full Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on factors influencing provision of chronic care self-management support by nurses: an exploratory qualitative study from the South Asian context
title_fullStr Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on factors influencing provision of chronic care self-management support by nurses: an exploratory qualitative study from the South Asian context
title_full_unstemmed Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on factors influencing provision of chronic care self-management support by nurses: an exploratory qualitative study from the South Asian context
title_short Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on factors influencing provision of chronic care self-management support by nurses: an exploratory qualitative study from the South Asian context
title_sort healthcare professionals perspectives on factors influencing provision of chronic care self management support by nurses an exploratory qualitative study from the south asian context
topic Asian
Chronic disease
Health priorities
Motivation
Nurse’s role
Qualitative research
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03457-3
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