JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Background:

Substance Use Disorders (SUD) are chronic conditions with significant personal and social consequences. Nursing care plays a key role in outpatient and community-based rehabilitation programmes, yet patients' perspectives on this role remain underexplored.

Objective:

Objective:

This study aimed to explore how patients with SUD perceive and interpret nursing care in community addiction treatment centres (CATCs) in Madrid, Spain. Specifically, it sought to describe the organizational and care-related roles attributed to CATCs and to analyse patients’ perceptions of nurses’ technical and relational functions.

Methods:

Methods:

A phenomenological qualitative design was employed. Fourteen in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients undergoing treatment at Red Cross centres. Participants were selected through purposive sampling to ensure diversity in age, gender, substance use, and treatment experiences. Data was analyzed using systematic text condensation and supported by Atlas.ti software.

Results:

Results:

The centre is perceived as a significant space not only for offering healthy leisure activities outside the context of substance use but also as a supportive environment that fosters a sense of belonging to a community. Patients valued the emotional support, empathy, and relational care provided by nurses, often highlighting their role in building trust and offering personalized attention. However, there was limited awareness of nurses’ technical competencies.

Conclusions:

Conclusions:

These findings underscore the importance of holistic, patient-centred care and the need to enhance the visibility and recognition of nursing roles in addiction treatment settings.