Background: Non-emergency patients are described as vulnerable and in need of being taken seriously in the ambulance care. Ambulance care has a natural and obvious focus onemergency medical care. Research has found patients as being dependent of the RegisteredNurse (RN) in the ambulance care. This is experienced as putting the life into the hands of the RN. RNs in the ambulance care encounter those patients on daily basis, and there is a need ofdeepened knowledge based on their experiences.
Aim: The aim was to describe the care of patients assessed as not in need of emergencyambulance care, from RNs' lived experiences.
Methods: The study had a qualitative design. A reflective lifeworld research method was usedand five RNs in the ambulance service were individually interviewed.
Results:The general structure of the phenomenon is described in the essence together with thedescription of the meaning constituents.The essence of the phenomenon is a desire to providegood care in an on-going struggle between one's own and others' expectations. Three meaning constituents emerged; 'Being in a struggle between different expectations', 'Being in aquestioned professional role', and 'Being in lack of support and formal directives'.
Conclusion: RNs' care for patients assessed as not in need of emergency ambulance care, is alonely struggle between different expectations and related to the encounter between thepatient's and the RN's lifeworld. This study calls for developing care-strategies and interventionsin order strengthen and support RNs in this care.