Table 2.
Conceptual Categories of Trust
| Conceptual Categories | Dimensions, Participant Responses |
|---|---|
| I. Communication | • Talks about medical issues |
| “They make me feel very comfortable. They answer all my questions. If there's something seriously wrong, they don't hide it from me. They come out and tell me.” | |
| • Talks about abuse | |
| “They treat me nice. They just asked me what happened and I tell them…then I start crying… they give me tissues to stop crying and everything is gonna be fine.” | |
| • Listens | |
| “I can call her now and talk to her…She'll still listen to me…That's the type of person I like. You know, that's the reason why I left [the previous provider] is because he wasn't listening to me.” | |
| II. Professional competency | • Knowledgeable/thorough |
| “She's a WONDERFUL lady…she's kinda young, but she knows what she's doin'…She go deep. ‘Where's the problems?’ You know? So you don't go home, just takin' the medicine for pain and nothing's happened.” | |
| • Familiar | |
| “…it reached the point that… all I used was the emergency room. Because I was just getting so worn down by going in and trusting somebody else. I still get anxious about going but she puts me at ease, she knows the questions to ask. She knows about my history.” | |
| III. Practice style | • Accessible |
| “I trust him with my life…He's also been the one to help me to go to detox, and he's always been there. ALWAYS. I can call the pager number in the middle of the night and put my number in and he calls back. He's…I love him.” | |
| • Takes time | |
| …“this particular nurse, she was my little angel. …usually everybody's in a rush …but she always took time, …she really spent a lot of time. I don't know if she ever got in trouble for that, but she spent a lot of time with me and a lot of time with my family.” | |
| • Confidentiality | |
| “I can say that I trust him…those things that I've told him that… that I know that nobody else knew…And, to me, I mean, that's confidentiality.” | |
| • Shares control | |
| “She talked to me…and explained what a shelter would…be able to do for me, even if I didn't want to make any changes, that I can at least have space to be somewhere other than home, to make some decisions.” | |
| IV. Caring | • Nonverbal |
| “He's a very loving person….I've never seen him upset. He always has a smile….And when you look into [his] eyes, you see that radiant smile, of peace. Inner peace…a little pat on your back when you leave.” | |
| • Nonjudgmental | |
| “I didn't tell anyone about the abuse because I didn't want anyone to down me, and she didn't down me. She would just make sure I was OK.” | |
| • Empower | |
| “It got verbalized… she just said things like ‘you don't deserve to be treated that way.’ And those were monumental statements.” | |
| • Persistence | |
| “…in all honesty if I had been asked the first time I wouldn't take it. But if you had asked me four or five times I might actually have thought that you wanted to know.” | |
| V. Emotional equality | • Just like me |
| “… She told me her daughter was in a similar situation…So, I felt a lot more comfortable…And that's why I'm here today.” | |
| • Shares feelings | |
| “She asks about my home, personal questions, about the children. And she tells me about her family. This is why I consider her my friend.” |