Acute myocardial infarction is a serious diagnosis. Both the patient and the loved ones experience an immediate uncertainty. To be able to emotionally support the patient´s spouse, the nurse in the coronary care unit must be prepared to also encounter the world of the spouse. The aim of this study was from a nursing perspective to illuminate how life was experienced during the first two months by the spouse of someone, who was stricken by a first time acute myocardial infarction. Interviews with six spouses were conducted. The methodological approach was phenomenological-hermeneutic, based on the French philosopher Paul Riceour. The result of the qualitative text analysis showed four themes: To lose one´s foothold, To be exposed to the medical and nursing staff, To get a changed relationship to one´s partner, To wish to make the most of one´s life. The first theme highlighted the spouse’s strong feelings of uncertainty concerning the outcome of the patient. The second theme showed the spouse’s confidence in the medical care. It also showed the spouse’s sense of being insulted by the nurses, who did not acknowledge the spouses´ need of obtaining information and emotional support. The third theme demonstrated how the partner cared for and felt responsible for observing the former patient´s health condition. The fourth theme showed that the spouse realized that life has to come to an end and therefore wanted to realize his/her plans for the future before it was too late. The findings from this study emphasize the importance of the medical and nursing staff to show interest in the spouses´ experiences. Thereby the spouses can experience a support in congruence with their needs, and their life situation might thereby be improved. It would be of great interest to study how nurses regard the spouses´ life situa...
