COPING SKILLS OF IRANIAN FAMILY CAREGIVERS' IN CARETAKING OF PATIENTS UNDERGOING HAEMODIALYSIS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

SUMMARY Background Coping skills enable caregivers to establish and maintain supportive relationships with the haemodialysis patients they care for. These skills are very important in terms of social support, promotion of mental health and social and family relations. The aim of this study is to investigate the coping skills of Iranian family caregivers as they take care of patients undergoing haemodialysis. Methods Twenty participants were selected for the study through purposive sampling. The data gathering techniques used for the research were in‐depth and unstructured interviews. The researchers used an inductive thematic analysis approach to analyse the data generated from the interviews. Results Four main themes emerged from the data: help‐seeking skills, self‐nurturing skills, time management skills and stress management skills. Conclusion The focus of attention was on the stress management coping skills of the caregivers of haemodialysis patients together with their ability to cope with complex problems. Healthcare providers, by taking into account these skills and strategies of empowerment, can help other caregivers of haemodialysis patients cope with their heavy care conditions and better define their purposes in caretaking.