Striving for Connection: A Phenomenological Examination of Nurses’ Experience Supervising the Injection of Illicit Drugs

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of nurses who supervise the injection of illicit drugs at Insite, a safe injection facility (SIF) in Vancouver, BC. The effectiveness of SIFs for clients is strongly supported by evidence, but little research has been done to examine what the experience is like for staff. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to interview 6 nurses who work at Insite. Interview data was transcribed, coded according to van Manen’s selective reading approach, and codeweaving was used to determine themes. Four themes emerged: (a) creating social cohesion through the use of harm reduction; (b) opportunities for relationship-building during in-booth supervision; (c) balancing relationships and autonomy; and (d) working on the edge of trauma. The essence of participants’ experience was connection. Clinical implications, study limitations, and future directions for research were explored.