Anna Larsson-Gerdin

Background

I am a registered nurse with a Master's degree in both psychiatry and district nursing. Since 2017, I have worked as a lecturer and doctoral student at Mid Sweden University, where I defended my PhD in Nursing in 2024 with the thesis "Experiences of care encounters in Swedish home care settings: perspectives from older persons and home care nurses." My research focuses on exploring care encounters in home healthcare from the perspectives of both older persons and nurses, aiming to generate new knowledge that can strengthen and improve nursing practice and care quality

Research

My research examines the complex and meaningful care encounters within home healthcare, which impact both the physical and psychological well-being of older persons, as well as nurses' experiences of meaning and satisfaction in their work. Through several qualitative studies, I have investigated how both patients and nurses perceive these encounters and how they influence the delivery of care. I am particularly interested in the factors that make a care encounter meaningful—such as presence, communication, and empathy—and how these insights can be used to create more person-centered and equitable care. The quality of these encounters, often influenced by the nurse’s role and access to time, is critical for ensuring both the effectiveness and equality of care. By understanding and improving these interactions, we can provide care that considers the whole person, not just the physical illness.

KEYWORDS: care encounters in home care, caring, everyday life, equality in care, experiences, health and well-being, home care nurses, Kari Martinsen, nursing, older persons, qualitative research.

Teaching and tutoring

I teach in the undergraduate nursing program but primarily in the specialist psychiatric nursing program at the advanced level, where I also hold course responsibility.

Research projects

Finished

Care encounters in the home environment – Experiences of interaction between older persons and nurses