Challenges and Professional Values of Rehabilitation Nurses in Neurogenic Bowel–Training Care: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study

Background Neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD) significantly impairs the quality of life of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI), and rehabilitation nurses play a crucial role in managing this condition through bowel training. Aim This study aimed to explore the experiences, challenges, and perceived professional values of rehabilitation nurses in providing neurogenic bowel–training (NBT) care to patients with SCI. Methods This qualitative study adopted a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to interpret the meaning of nurses’ lived experiences within their clinical and interpersonal contexts. Guided by the interpretive framework of Annells and Laverty, semistructured interviews were conducted with 11 rehabilitation nurses recruited through snowball sampling from one medical center and two regional hospitals in Taiwan. Interview transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content analysis to systematically identify patterns, categories, and themes, while hermeneutic interpretation within the hermeneutic circle deepened understanding of the emotional and professional significance underlying these experiences. Data collection continued until thematic saturation was achieved. Findings Four themes emerged from the interview analyses: (1) environmental and emotional challenges in bowel care: nurses described managing unpleasant clinical environments and emotional discomfort by adopting “professional masks” to maintain composure and professionalism. (2) The art of dignity: nurses emphasized empathy, respectful communication, and protection of patient self‐esteem while performing intimate bowel‐care procedures. (3) Successful bowel training fostered meaningful nurse–patient connections and generated a sense of therapeutic accomplishment and mutual trust. (4) Professional identity transformation: repeated care experiences strengthened nurses’ professional growth, resilience, and recognition of the value of rehabilitation nursing. Conclusion Hermeneutic phenomenology enabled interpretation of the deeper meanings embedded in rehabilitation nurses’ lived experiences, while qualitative content analysis provided a structured process for identifying recurrent patterns across narratives. NBT care imposes substantial psychological and emotional labor on rehabilitation nurses as they deliver invasive, time‐intensive procedures while preserving patient dignity. Practice should prioritize standardized NBT competency training, structured emotional support (e.g., debriefing/mentoring), and enabling conditions (adequate staffing and time, privacy protocols, and essential supplies) to reduce burnout risk and sustain consistent, dignity‐conserving care for patients with SCI.