Abstract
BACKGROUND: Professional nurses who also care for relatives are called double duty caregivers and provide double care work. It is not obvious whether this means they have to cope with other challenges than caring relatives without a professional background. OBJECTIVE: This article aims to gain a better understanding and an overview of how double duty caregivers experience their dual role and the challenges they face. METHODS: The systematic literature search was conducted in 11 specialized databases as well as via a snowball system. Included in the study were 32 articles published in German and English between January 1995 and October 2023. RESULTS: A total of 6 topic complexes were identified that deal with the experience and challenges of double duty caregivers: emotional and personal aspects, demands and expectations, personal needs, role identification, nursing expertise and interaction with professionals in the healthcare system. CONCLUSION: The challenges for double duty caregivers are complex. The results show that finding their own role in the nursing arrangement is particularly challenging as the professional and private nursing roles are closely intertwined. The preference for one of these roles varies depending on the personality, type of relationship or care situation. This problem is often not recognized or respected by the environment, which can reinforce existing feelings of stress. On the other hand, double duty caregivers use their professional and private experience to provide good nursing and care in the respective other context.