Beyond physical care: emotional expectations of chronic patients towards Nursing in primary care

Introduction: Patients with chronic diseases require comprehensive health care through Nursing care that includes assessment of their emotions. Objective: To analyze the perceptions of a group of chronic patients regarding the care provided by Nursing professionals in managing their emotions. Method: Descriptive exploratory qualitative study applied to 25 chronic patients in a primary care health center in Ecuador. An in-depth interview was used as the data collection instrument. Data analysis involved text mining through the R Core Team program and discourse analysis. Results: The following categories emerged: emotional support, interaction, communication, and comprehensive health. Conclusion: There is an urgent need to integrate emotional support as an essential element in Nursing care for chronic patients, in accordance with Watson's human caring theory.