Table 3.

Subcategories, categories and themes

Subcategories	Categories	Themes
The patient is asked how he/she perceives he/she currently manages at home The patient is asked about near‐ones and previously used service forms when HAH care is considered The patient is asked where he/she wants care to take place The patient's near‐ones are asked whether they accept HAH care	When HAH care is considered, the patient and near‐ones participate in the decision‐making	Pre‐admission to HAH: Balancing between the patient's and his/her near‐ones' opinions and wishes
The nurse makes observations during the first home visit The patient and his/her near‐ones are given a chance to reveal narratives The patient's extended family is taken into consideration as being important for the patient The care is flexibly planned in accordance with the patient's situation, needs and preferences The patient is involved in the evaluation and development of care	During HAH care, the patient and his/her near‐ones are focused on	HAH care process: Focusing on both the patient and his/her near‐ones during care
Home seen as a place of equality The patient's and his/her near‐ones' integrity is respected The patient's home is respected Home seen as a resource to understand the patient, his/her background and the actual situation	Home as a source of person‐centred care	Home: Balancing between the promotion of person‐centred care and own work safety
Home milieu seen as a challenge Being responsible for one's own safety Being responsible for one's work conditions	Home as a challenge to staff safety
Clinical skills Specialized nursing experience Seeing and analysing the whole situation Independent decision‐making	Independent clinical decision‐making on an advanced level	Presupposed competence: Engaging in iterative situation analysis and decision‐making on the individual and team levels
Proactive situation analysis Flexibility Creativity Advocacy skills Continuous learning	Proactive and reactive professional attitude
Complementary mix of competencies in team Collaboration and communication	Collaboration
Periodic, acute advanced nursing care Periodic care for long‐term illness, linked to acute care needs Monitoring health and preventing illness Supporting self‐rehabilitation	Tangible work for the HAH patient	Coordinating and developing safe patient care through tangible and intangible measures
Coordinating care for the “whole patient” Being on call Documenting and reporting on patient safety and care continuity Advocating for the patient's best Testing new virtual methods for patient care	Intangible but necessary work for the HAH patient
Reflecting on and evaluating care Acknowledging the need for nursing advocacy Mentoring nursing students Assisting others staff on other units	Collegial work
Genuine collaboration between HAH physicians and nurses Collaboration between service units Collaboration with other professionals not belonging to the HAH team	Collaboration between units and professional groups for the patient's best	Collaborating for the patient's best
Patients feel thankful Patients feel safe Patients feel empowered Patients recover sooner than in hospital and live life despite health problems	Patients perceive well‐being despite ill health	Balancing between the patient's well‐being and near‐one's integrity
Near‐ones feel thankful Near‐ones feel relief that care is organized in the home Near‐ones feel burdened Near‐ones experience an intrusion into their private space	Near‐ones have mixed feelings
Staff perceive a deeper patient–nurse relationship Staff simultaneously experience independence and genuine collaboration when working in HAH when compared with hospital care Staff feel motivated to work Staff acknowledge the effectiveness of their work Staff feel a desire for professional self‐development	Staff perceive that a deeper meaning underlies HAH work	Balancing between a deeper meaning for one's work and the need for further support
Staff feel challenged Staff feel frustrated	Staff perceive a need for support