To be involved - A qualitative study of nurses' experiences of caring for dying patients

Do spirituality and emotional intelligence improve the perception of the ability to provide care at the end of life? The role of knowledge and self-efficacy

OBJECTIVES

Spirituality, emotional intelligence, and palliative care (PC) knowledge have a positive and direct influence on self-efficacy and on perception of preparation and ability to provide end-of-life (EOL) care. The aim of this work is to propose a conceptual model that relates spirituality, emotional intelligence, PC knowledge, self-efficacy, and the preparation and ability to provide EOL care by doctors and nurses.

METHODS

Quantitative, exploratory, descriptive, and inferential study applied to doctors and nurses in a hospital in the north of Portugal, between May and July 2022. The data collection instrument includes a questionnaire. The relationships between latent variables were evaluated using structural equation models by the partial least squares method using the Smart PLS 3.0 software. It was obtained the previous authorization of the ethics committee.

RESULTS

The results (n = 380) indicate that self-efficacy, spirituality, and PC knowledge have a positive influence on the ability to provide EOL care. Emotional intelligence and spirituality have a direct and positive effect on self-efficacy. There is no direct influence of emotional intelligence on the ability to provide EOL care, but emotional intelligence has an indirect effect mediated by self-efficacy.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

Spirituality, self-efficacy, and emotional intelligence are very important for the ability of doctors and nurses to provide EOL care. The identification of predictive factors of the ability to provide EOL care and the determination of the relationship between them can improve the provision of EOL care, reduction of health costs, timely and early referral of people to PC, and increase life quality.

Attitudes of Oncology Nurses Towards Care of Dying Patients and the Principles of Dying with Dignity and Their Views on Good Death

This study investigated oncology nurses' attitudes toward caring for dying patients, their principles of dying with dignity, and their views on good death. This descriptive study included 257 oncology nurses working at two university hospitals, an educational research hospital and a state hospital in Turkey. Data were collected using the descriptive characteristics information form, the Frommelt Attitudes toward Care of the Dying scale, the Assessment Scale of Attitudes toward the Principles of Dying with Dignity, and the Good Death Scale. The nurses obtained mean scores of 99.53 ± 7.76 on the Frommelt Attitudes toward Care of the Dying scale, 26.84 ± 12.45 on the Assessment Scale of Attitudes toward the Principles of Dying with Dignity, and 57.23 ± 7.48 on the Good Death Scale. The nurses' personal and professional characteristics influenced their attitudes toward caring for dying patients, the principles of dying with dignity, and their views on good death.

Association between Resilience, Professional Quality of Life, and Caring Behavior in Oncology Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study

PURPOSE

The degree of caring behavior of oncology nurses is a crucial factor in the care provided to patients with cancer. In this study, we aimed to investigate factors related to oncology nurses' caring behavior, including their resilience and professional quality of life.

METHODS

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 107 oncology nurses at an urban tertiary hospital from May 18 to 24, 2015. We used a self-report questionnaire to measure resilience, professional quality of life, and degree of caring behavior. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, correlations, and multiple regression analysis using SPSS/WIN 20.0.

RESULTS

Oncology nurses presented with low levels of resilience and caring behavior, and high levels of compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress. There was a statistically significant relationship between the degree of caring behavior, resilience (r = .43, p < .001), compassion satisfaction (r = .51, p < .001), and burnout (r = -.42, p < .001), as well as between secondary traumatic stress and burnout (r = .34, p < .001). Factors associated with oncology nurses' degree of caring behavior were compassion satisfaction (t = 6.00, p < .001) and educational level (t = 3.45, p = .001).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that oncology nurses' degree of caring behavior is related to their professional quality of life and education. These findings suggest that enhancing oncology nurses' healthy coping strategies at both the individual and organizational levels can further develop holistic nursing care. Additionally, it is necessary to examine the factors affecting nurses' compassion satisfaction and to try to promote this aspect.

Exploring the variations in death anxiety among oncology nurses in China: a latent class analysis

BACKGROUND

Various factors have been found to be associated with high levels of death anxiety experienced by oncology nurses. The aim of this study was to use a person-oriented approach to examine the death anxiety patterns of Chinese oncology nurses and to analyze the differences in anxiety characteristics and their associated influencing factors.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey regarding palliative care among registered oncology nurses was conducted in Jiangsu Province, China.Latent class analyses was applied to identify their patterns of death anxiety. The score of PCQN-C (The Chinese version of the Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing) and FATCOD-B-C (The Chinese version of the Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying scale), the demographic and working characteristics were further analyzed through covariance analysis (ANCOVA) and multivariate (or logistic) regression across the subgroups.

RESULTS

A two-potential-category model was selected based on the fit index. The results showed that 79% of oncology nurses belonged to the high pressure and pain group and 21% belonged to the low death anxiety group. The high pressure and pain group had significantly higher scores in the dimensions of emotion, stress and pain, time awareness, and cognition compared to the low death anxiety group. Factors influencing the high pressure and pain group included shorter working years, non-national or provincial oncology nursing specialists, non-national palliative care specialists, never discussing the topic of death with patients or family members, no palliative care related training, and PCQN and FATCOD scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that oncology nurses' death anxiety can be divided into two categories: low death anxiety and high stress pain, and certain factors, such as being female, having a short work experience, and lacking palliative care-related training, increase the likelihood of death anxiety.

Promoting person-centred care at the end of life

Providing person-centred care that takes into account each patient's individual needs and priorities is crucial at the end of life. Nurses need to be aware of the main aspects of person-centred care, such as supporting shared decision-making, developing therapeutic nurse-patient relationships, and considering the patient's physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs. This article discusses the concept of person-centred care in the context of providing end of life care to patients and their families. It explains the benefits and barriers to providing person-centred end of life care, and outlines some of the areas that nurses and other healthcare professionals need to consider to promote effective care.

Nurses' Caring Experiences for Dying Patients: A Meta-Synthesis Review

Nurses play an important role in caring for dying patients. The ability to face a dying patient is a vital necessity and skill for nurses. Nurses' experiences in dealing with dying patients help to identify the factors affecting nursing care. Therefore, this meta-synthesis explains nurses caring experiences for dying patients. In this meta-synthesis review, English qualitative articles related to nurses' caring experiences with dying patients that were published in Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and CINAHL databases were selected. The results presented in 4 themes and 4 sub-themes, including (i) dual parallel nursing care (patient care and family care), (ii) conflict between nurses' beliefs and care duties, (iii) care reflections on the nurse (positive and negative care reflection, and (iv) coping strategies of nurses. This study shows that nurses provide diverse care to dying patients and their families, which has had positive and negative reflections on their personal and professional lives. Nurses sometimes had a conflict with their beliefs and treatment protocols, which hesitate to perform the treatment. Although nurses use various coping strategies when caring for dying patients and their families, they need more strategies to cope with multi-faceted physical, mental, spiritual, educational, and management issues.

First death experiences of newly graduated nurses: A qualitative phenomenological study

Newly graduated nurses typically face death for the first time during the transition to their professional careers. This encounter can cause nurses to experience compelling emotions and make it difficult for them to manage and cope with the process of adaptation to the profession and the death process of the patient. This study aims to retrospectively examine and reveal the first death experiences of newly graduated nurses (N = 15) using a retrospective phenomenological method. Analysis of the responses of the newly graduated nurses revealed three themes: first encounter with death, nothing is like before, and support need. Newly graduated nurses realized that their first death experiences change their perspectives on life and profession and that nursing touches human life.

Lived Experience of Caring for Dying Muslim Patients in Emergency Room: A Phenomenological Study

Death is a natural part of life, which mostly occurs in the ER. This study described the meaning of nurses' lived experience of caring for critical and dying patients in the ERs. In this qualitative study, 13 nurses who was purposefully selected. Data were collected using in-depth individual interviews. Data analysis used van Manen's hermeneutic phenomenological approach. The experiences of caring for the dying patient were divided into two parts: experiences in patients with acute and chronic problems. In patients with acute problems, four themes were extracted: fight to the death, no time for palliative and spiritual care, lacking support for the family, no privacy for peaceful death. In patients with acute problems, four themes were extracted: Facilitating a peaceful death, Allocating time for palliative and spiritual care, support for the family, Attention to privacy. Therefore, attention should be paid to the fields of care and its inadequacies.

Developing a Card Game for Assessment and Intervention in the Person and the Family in Palliative Care: "Pallium Game"

Communication between the multidisciplinary team, the person, and the family in palliative and end-of-life situations implies, in most situations, a high negative emotional burden. Therefore, innovative strategies are needed to reduce it. The goal of this study is to describe the various stages of development and validation of a collaborative card game for people in palliative care and their families. Phase one is an exploratory study, Phase two is a Delphi study, and Phase three is a multiple case study. Participants for phases 2 and 3 were recruited using a convenience sampling method. The results demonstrate in an organized and structured way the different phases required to build a collaborative card game. The use of the game was found to be useful and effective. Four categories emerged from the content analysis of the open-ended responses: usability, evaluation tool, communication and therapeutic relationship, and meaning when using the game. A collaborative game in palliative care helps to create a space for individuals and families to express feelings and experiences, meeting the myriad of physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs. The "Pallium game" is a useful and impactful approach to discussing sensitive topics in palliative care.

Intensive Care Nurses' Experience of Caring in Greece; A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND

Whilst nurses and critical care services have been at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become more apparent that intensive care nurses are presented with challenging ethical and clinical decisions and are required to care for individuals with critical illnesses under high-pressure conditions. This is not a new phenomenon. The aim of this study, which was conducted before the outbreak of COVID-19, was to explore the experience of caring through the narratives of intensive care nurses in Greece.

METHODS

A qualitative study was conducted through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with nineteen ICU nurses in Athens. Transcripts were subjected to Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis and organised with Atlas.ti v8 QDA software.

RESULTS

The intensive care nurses' experience of caring in Greece encompassed four themes: (A) being "proximal", "co-present" and caring with empathy, (B) being "responsible" for your patient and negotiating with the doctors, (C) technology and "fighting with all you've got", and (D) "not being kept informed" and disappointment.

CONCLUSIONS

The narratives of this study highlight that ICU nurses in Greece provide patient-centred and compassionate care. Nurse leaders should develop appropriate healthcare policies so as to ensure the adequate provision of staff, specialist education, and support to nurses working in critical care. Failure to address these issues may lead to poor quality of care and negative patient outcomes.

Every Dying Patient Should Experience a Peaceful Death: A Mixed-Methods Approach to Assessing the Benefits of Palliative Care Training on Nursing Practice

Providing appropriate end-of-life care is not only a critical part of palliative care but a basic human right. Nurses are well positioned to perform this role; however, the delivery of end-of-life care is difficult. The purpose of this project was to prepare nurses to meet the challenges associated with end-of-life care and to optimize the opportunity for a peaceful death. The project comprised a mixed-methods design, analyzing a palliative care training program for a quantitative and qualitative impact on practice. Preintervention focus group discussions resulted in 6 primary themes concerning the care of these patients: ethical challenges, cultural/spiritual difficulties, troubling emotional aspects, communication challenges, frustrations, and basic unfamiliarity with end-of-life care. Nurses expressed uncertainties about their role in end-of-life care and how best to manage challenges within their scope of practice. There was a statistically significant increase in testing scores from pretraining to posttraining. Postintervention discussions identified changes within nursing practice expressed through 5 primary themes: enhanced communication, symptom management, improved emotional response, improved understanding of ethical principles, and the trajectory of death. Nurses need to receive education to understand their role within end-of-life care and effectively care for the dying patient when cure is no longer an option.

Nursing students' witnessed experience of patient death during clinical practice: A qualitative study using focus groups

BACKGROUND

Witnessing the death and dying of patients is a strong, often overwhelming experience during clinical practice. It is necessary to explore how nursing students experience care for dying patients and to understand their perceptions of death and dying.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the experiences of nursing students who witness dying patients and terminal care in their clinical practice.

DESIGN

A qualitative study using focus group discussion methodology.

SETTING(S)

A university in Seoul, South Korea.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 16 nursing students with more than 1 year of clinical practice experience participated. Their median age was 21.9 years (range 21-24), and all were women.

METHODS

A qualitative study using three focus groups (10 juniors in two focus groups and 6 seniors in one focus group) was conducted from December 2018 to January 2019. Data were analyzed using the Colaizzi analysis method.

RESULTS

The analysis resulted in 26 themes, 9 theme clusters, and 3 categories. Three categories emerged: 1) Experience the distance death up close; 2) Dilemma at the end of life; and 3) Strategy on a better end to life.

CONCLUSIONS

For nursing students, it is necessary to develop and apply internal and external reinforcement programs on providing person-centered care so that they can accept the death of others with equanimity. Nursing students, who are future nurses, should receive education covering various aspects of clinical scenarios involving dying patients and their family members.

Doživljanje umiranja z vidika medicinskih sester

Uvod: V enotah intenzivne terapije se medicinske sestrednevno soočajo z umiranjem. To jim predstavlja velike obremenitve, ki vodijo do stiske. Namen pregleda literature je ugotoviti, kaj doživljajo medicinske sestre ob umirajočih pacientih v enotah intenzivne terapije in kako se soočajo z umiranjem.Metode: Uporabljena je metoda pregleda literature. Iskanje je bilo izvedeno v bazah podatkov: PubMed, ScienceDirect, SAGE, Web of Science in CINAHL na osnovi vključitvenih in izključitvenih kriterijev. Proces iskanja literature je prikazan z diagramom PRISMA. Za analizo in sintezo podatkov je bila uporabljena metoda tematske analize.Rezultati: Od 1.886 zadetkov smo v končno analizo vključili 10 člankov. Na podlagi tematske analize smo oblikovali dve glavni temi: (1) doživljanje medicinskih sester ob hudo bolnih in umirajočih pacientih; (2) profesionalni odnos medicinskih sester.Diskusija in zaključek: Izvajanje zdravstvene nege v enotah intenzivne terapije je za medicinske sestre zelo stresno. Pri zdravstveni negi kritično bolnih pacientov se najpogosteje srečujejo s stalnimi fizičnimi obremenitvami, čustvenimi pretresi, pomanjkanjem čustvene podpore, žalostjo, izgorevanjem, depresijo, težavami v komunikaciji s pacientovimi sorodniki ter pomanjkljivim sodelovanjem in zagotavljanjem podpore v timu. Izpostavljene so številnim dejavnikom, ki prispevajo k doživljanju lastne stiske. Potrebni so ukrepi za zaščito, učinkovitejšo pomoč in podporo medicinskim sestram, ki se dnevno soočajo z umiranjem in zagotavljanjem podpore pacientovi družini oziroma svojcem. 

A Phenomenological Analysis of Experiences and Practices of Nurses Providing Palliative and End of Life Care

The aim of this study was to describe the experiences and practices of nurses providing palliative and end of life care. The study was conducted in the palliative care unit of a territory hospital in Turkey. The sample consisted of 11 nurses who had been working as palliative care nurses for at least one year. The face to face interview method was used to collect data, with a semi-structured in-depth individual interview. 5 main themes and 24 sub-themes were emerged in relation to the experiences and practices of the nurses. The majority of participant nurses pointed that inadequacy in the number of nurses, secondary nursing care activities, refusal of treatment, cultural and ethical problems were barriers in the provision of nursing care. They frequently experienced ethical issues when caring for end of life patients, and for this reason they felt the need for ethics counselling which they could consult.

When breaking the rule becomes necessary: The impact of leader-member exchange quality on nurses pro-social rule-breaking

Aim

Despite the literature on nursing leadership, the research on the quality of exchange relationship between nursing leaders and nurses is in its initial stages. Also, the underlying mechanism that exists between leader–member exchange and employee outcomes warrants further inquiry. This study aimed to fill these gaps by investigating the role of leader–member exchange relationships and organizational identification in nurses' intentional violation of hospital regulations to promote their patients' welfare, also called pro‐social rule‐breaking. In contrast to a vast number of previous studies, we argue that pro‐social rule‐breaking can be positive for organizations. Therefore, nurses should be given margin and autonomy to break hospital rules when needed by establishing a high‐quality exchange relationship with the supervisor.

Design

A quantitative study was conducted on nurses working in hospitals in Pakistan by utilizing a non‐probability convenience sampling technique.

Method

Data from nurses and their colleagues (n = 224) were collected at three‐time points between June 2019 and August 2019 through questionnaires.

Results

The results proved that nurses' possessing a high‐quality exchange relationship with their supervisor feels a higher level of identification with their organization. In turn, they are more likely to engage in pro‐social rule‐breaking as a form of constructive deviance.

The emotional experience of nurses in the Home Hospitalization Unit in palliative care: A qualitative exploratory study

OBJECTIVE

To explore the emotions experienced by the nurses of a Home Hospitalization Unitas a result of their work role.

METHOD

A qualitative exploratory study was carried out with a phenomenology approach toexplore people's experiences and inner-life experiences. The participants were 9 nurses workingin the home hospitalization unit. An analysis of qualitative content was undertaken. Units ofmeaning were grouped into 13 codes that, in turn, were classified into 4 categories, emotionaldimension, beneficial and distressing aspects, daily working life and personal life.

RESULTS

Nursing professionals working in palliative care suffer continuous exposure to traumaticsituations, although they also report feeling satisfactory emotions that compensate for momentsof distress. Having resources such as training in self-care and emotional regulation, as well associal support seems to be key to providing quality care and avoiding the onset of compassionfatigue.

CONCLUSIONS

Maintaining psychosocial well-being in the workplace is crucial for palliative care nurses to be able to undertake their work in the best possible way.

Nurses' views and applications on palliative care

PURPOSE

This study was carried out descriptively to determine the view and applications about pallative care of nurses working in a university hospital.

DESIGN AND METHODS

The data were collected with the questionnaire form: "Individual Information Form" and "Views and Appllications on Palliative Care," created by the researchers in line with the literature.

FINDINGS

A total of 96.6% of the nurses evaluated the scope of palliative care as pain relief, and the most common difficulties in care were identified as bad news (88.1%). In all, 22.0% of the nurses talked to the patient and their family about death.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

It is thought that the majority of nurses are not trained in palliative care and their opinions about palliative care are affected by this situation.

A transition out of the darkness: Patients' experience of the recovery phase after treatment for head and neck cancer

PURPOSE

To explore the recovery experience of patients who completed medical treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC).

METHOD

The study conducted interviews with a strategic sample of 12 patients at an oncology clinic. Interview data were analyzed by qualitative content analysis with a deductive approach based on transition theory.

RESULTS

The transition theory coding frame for patients' descriptions of their recovery process produced four categories: properties, personal conditions, process indicators, and outcome indicators. Personal conditions, such as cultural beliefs and attitudes, impact the outcome of recovery, and necessitate interaction throughout the care chain using the person-centered care approach to help survivors master their changed living conditions during recovery after HNC. The transition was described as a journey out of a dark period characterized by a struggle with the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlighted the use of person-centered care to facilitate transition in the recovery phase, supported by an intra-professional team that collaborates during the care chain (primary care to hospital care). Patient education and self-care are tools that improve the transition from illness to everyday life.

The emotional experience of nurses in the Home Hospitalization Unit in palliative care: A qualitative exploratory study

OBJECTIVE

To explore the emotions experienced by the nurses of a Home Hospitalization Unit as a result of their work role.

METHOD

A qualitative exploratory study was carried out with a phenomenology approach to explore people's experiences and inner-life experiences. The participants were 9nurses working in the home hospitalization unit. An analysis of qualitative content was undertaken. Units of meaning were grouped into 13 codes that, in turn, were classified into 4 categories, emotional dimension, beneficial and distressing aspects, daily working life and personal life.

RESULTS

Nursing professionals working in palliative care suffer continuous exposure to traumatic situations, although they also report feeling satisfactory emotions that compensate for moments of distress. Having resources such as training in self-care and emotional regulation, as well as social support seems to be key to providing quality care and avoiding the onset of compassion fatigue.

CONCLUSIONS

Maintaining psychosocial well-being in the workplace is crucial for palliative care nurses to be able to undertake their work in the best possible way.

Atitudes dos enfermeiros frente à morte no contexto hospitalar: diferenciação por unidades de cuidados

RESUMO Objetivo identificar a ocorrência da morte nas unidades de cuidados, bem como analisar os registros e as atitudes dos enfermeiros frente à morte no contexto hospitalar. Método estudo quantitativo, descritivo, transversal, com participação de 900 enfermeiros de um hospital do Norte de Portugal. Com recurso à triangulação de fontes de dados, a coleta realizou-se de fevereiro a março de 2018 através de questionário e observação de registros efetuados pelos enfermeiros. Para análise dos dados, usou-se estatística descritiva e analítica. Resultados são as unidades de medicina que apresentam maior número de mortes, sendo no turno da noite que se registra um valor mais elevado de ocorrências. Com relação às atitudes dos enfermeiros frente à morte, à exceção do evitamento, todas as outras evidenciam tendência semelhante entre o grupo profissional, independentemente da sua área de atuação. Os registros de enfermagem apresentam maior incidência ao nível da função ao invés de focados no domínio da pessoa. Conclusão e implicações para a prática além da aquisição de conhecimentos através da participação em formações sobre a morte e o processo de morrer, o acompanhamento e apoio dos profissionais, poderão desempenhar um papel fundamental na preparação dos enfermeiros para cuidar das pessoas em fim de vida.

Reframing the meaning of life and professional values: A theoretical framework of facilitating professional care for terminally ill patients

Professional values reflect nurses' understanding of how to deliver professional care, which might influence nurses' attitudes and caring behaviors during end-of-life care. However, limited research has been conducted to explore nurses' experiences of professional development during end-of-life care, and theoretical explanations are scarce about how nurses enact their professional values during the caring process. This study explored the social process of professional values involved in end-of-life care in the Chinese cultural context by adopting a constructivist grounded theory approach. Twenty semi-structured in-depth interviews with 15 nurses from three hospitals in southeastern China were conducted. A theoretical framework emerged when focusing on the social process of "reframing the meaning of life and professional values" to facilitate professional care for terminally ill patients. Three main categories were sequentially identified as "recognizing the dilemmas when caring for terminally ill patients," "applying strategies to deal with values conflict," and "reconstructing values." This theoretical framework may be applied as a practical framework for equipping nurses with effective strategies to cultivate professional values, including the provision of adequate end-of-life knowledge, and a supportive workplace environment.

Transition to comfort-focused care: Moral agency of acute care nurses

BACKGROUND

Moving into the last phase of life comprises a developmental transition with specific needs and risks. Facilitating transitions is an important component of the work of nurses. When curative interventions are no longer helpful, nurses enact key roles in caring for patients and families.

AIM

The aim of this study was to examine the experiences of registered nurses in acute care settings as they worked with patients and families to facilitate transition to comfort-focused care.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Sampling, data collection, and data analysis were guided by constructivist grounded theory, chosen because of its strength in identifying and explicating social processes.

PARTICIPANTS AND CONTEXT

A purposeful sample of 26 registered nurses working in acute care hospitals in one community in the northeastern United States participated in this study through semi-structured interviews.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

The study received approval from the university's Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects. Participants provided informed consent.

FINDINGS

Nurses facilitated transition to comfort-focused care by enacting their moral commitments to patients and families. They focused on building relationships, honoring patient self-determination, and maintaining respect for personhood. In this context, they discerned a need for transition, opened a discussion, and used diverse strategies to facilitate achieving consensus on the part of patients, family members, and care providers. Regardless of how the process unfolded, nurses offered support throughout.

DISCUSSION

Achievement of consensus by all stakeholders is critical in the transition to comfort-focused care. This study deepens our understanding of how nurses as moral agents utilize specific strategies to assist progress toward consensus. It also offers an example of recognizing the moral agency of nurses through listening to their voices.

CONCLUSION

Increased understanding of effective nursing strategies for facilitating transition to comfort-focused care is essential for developing needed evidence for excellent care and strengthening end-of-life nursing education.

Nurses' early and ongoing encounters with the dying and the dead: a scoping review of the international literature

BACKGROUND

End-of-life care is high on policy and political agendas in the UK and internationally. Nurses are at the forefront of this, caring for dying patients, 'managing' the dead body, and dealing with the corporeal, emotional and relational dimensions of death. Little is known about nurses' prior or early professional experiences of and reactions to death, dying and the corpse and how these might influence practice.

AIMS

To appraise the international literature on nurses' early experiences of death, dying and the dead body, to better understand how these might influence subsequent practice, and how this might inform our teaching of death, dying and last offices.

METHODS

A scoping review was undertaken of peer-reviewed publications between, 2000 and 2019, which included nurses working in hospital, care homes and the community. Medline, PubMed, PsychINFO and CINAHL databases were searched and 23 papers meeting the inclusion criteria were read. Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) five-stage approach was adopted to scope the relevant international literature, using where relevant the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Selected papers were independently reviewed and subjected to thematic analysis, leading to the generation of five overarching themes.

RESULTS

The five themes were: different philosophies of care; relationships; knowledge; impact of death; and giving care. The studies came from diverse geographical locations across different settings and were primarily qualitative in design.

CONCLUSIONS

Students and registered nurses are impacted both positively and negatively by their early encounters with death and dying. Good communication with patients, families and between professionals, understanding of what constitutes a 'good' death, and high-quality mentorship and support were of particular importance.

"The challenge of joining all the pieces together" - Nurses' experience of palliative care for older people with advanced dementia living in residential aged care units

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To describe nurses' experiences of palliative care for older people with advanced dementia living in residential aged care units.

BACKGROUND

Dementia is a global health problem and the number of older people with dementia who need palliative care is increasing. Previous research has revealed that care for older people with dementia in the final stage of life is usually complex. However, little is known about how nurses experience palliative care for older people with advanced dementia living in residential aged care units.

METHOD

Nine individual, semi-structured face-to-face interviews with nurses working in residential aged care units for older people with advanced dementia in palliative care in Western Sweden were analysed using qualitative inductive content analysis. The COREQ checklist was followed.

RESULTS

The nurses considered that palliative care for older people with advanced dementia is a complex and challenging form of care. In particular, they identified three challenges that must be met: developing specialised knowledge and skills, developing teamwork as a working method and creating a caring relationship.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of our analysis indicate that if nurses are aware of and understand that the challenges are essential for "joining all the pieces together," the palliative care for older people with advanced dementia may become a positive experience for nurses and may increase their sense of satisfaction and security in their professional role.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

For the palliative care to be successful, the nurses need to "join all the pieces together," that is succeed in developing specialised knowledge and skills, developing teamwork as a working method and creating a caring relationship to establish a person-centred care with the older person with advanced dementia and with his or her relatives.

Hospital Nurses' Perception of Death and Self-Reported Performance of End-of-Life Care: Mediating Role of Attitude towards End-of-Life Care

Few studies have explored how nurses in acute care hospitals perceive and perform end-of-life care in Korea. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the influence of nurses' perceptions of death on end-of-life care performance and analyze the mediating role of attitude towards end-of-life care among hospital nurses. This cross-sectional study included a total of 250 nurses who have had experience with end-of-life care from four general hospitals in Korea. We used the Korean validated tools with the View of Life and Death Scale, the Frommelt Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying (FATCOD) scale, and the performance of end-of-life care. Hierarchical linear regression and mediation analysis, applying the bootstrapping method. The results of hierarchical linear regression showed that nurses' positive perceptions of death and attitude towards end-of-life care were significantly associated with their performance of end-of-life care. A mediation analysis further revealed that nurses' attitude towards end-of-life care mediates the relationship between the perceptions of death and performance of end-of-life care. Our findings suggest that supportive and practical death educational programs should be designed, based on nurses' professional experience and work environment, which will enable them to provide better end-of-life care.

Nurses' required end-of-life care competence in health centres inpatient ward - a qualitative descriptive study

BACKGROUND

Studies of nurses' required competence in EOL care in health centres are rare. It is important to produce information about experienced nurses' perceptions of the competence they consider important in their practical work.

AIM

The aim of this study was to describe nurses' required competence in EOL care in health centre inpatient wards as experienced by nurses.

METHOD

A descriptive qualitative study using four semi-structured group interviews (20 nurses) and inductive descriptive content analysis.

RESULTS

Five categories describing nurses' required competence in EOL care in a health centre inpatient ward were identified: (1) ethics and courage in action, (2) support for the patient, (3) support for the family, (4) care planning and (5) physical care. Factors promoting nurses' competence in EOL care comprised two categories: (1) professional development in EOL care and (2) an organisation that supports EOL care.

CONCLUSIONS

End-of-life care in health centre inpatient wards requires wide and complex competence from nurses. Nurses' experiences of required competence are associated with holistic care of the patient, encountering the family and multiprofessional cooperation. Nurses' competence in EOL care could be enhanced with postgraduate education, and educational planning should be given more attention in the future.

An Integrative Review on Knowledge and Attitudes of Nurses Toward Palliative Care: Implications for Practice

To effectively participate in provision of palliative care, nurses need to possess a combination of knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes in equal measure in a way that is sensitive and meaningful and in a dynamic manner. The aim of this review was to examine nurses' knowledge and attitudes about palliative care, to identify gaps to improve care of patients and families facing death. An integrative review method guided this review. After implementation of a search strategy, data from 26 studies were analyzed and synthesized. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used to assess the methodological quality of the studies. Data were extracted using a common table, and themes were generated from the available peer-reviewed studies using narrative synthesis. Findings revealed knowledge deficit but favorable attitudes toward palliative care among nurses. Education and the clinical experience of nurses in palliative care influenced their knowledge and attitudes toward palliative care. There is a need for mandatory inclusion of basic palliative care content in nursing school curricula and more in-depth postgraduate curricula. In clinical practice, there is a need to reinforce palliative care education by creating expert nurse support networks to model excellence in palliative care.

What's the meaning of the concept of caring?: a meta-synthesis

BACKGROUND

Registered Nurses are expected to have acquired knowledge about the fundamental concepts within nursing science throughout their training and clinical work. However, the terminology and the concept of caring are debated; therefore, there is a need for a continuous critical investigation of scientific concepts within the area of nursing.

OBJECTIVES

To illuminate nurses' perception about the meaning of the scientific concept of caring.

DESIGN

A qualitative systematic literature search was performed that subsequently underwent a descriptive meta-synthesis in line with Deborah Finfgeld's descriptive meta-synthesis methodology.

DATA SOURCES/REVIEW METHOD

Scientific articles published between 1 January 2003 and 25 January 2018 were identified and retrieved from CINAHL and PubMed. Each included study was assessed and critically appraised. Data were extracted, analysed and coded into categories resulting in four different themes in accordance with descriptive meta-synthesis.

RESULTS

Four themes emerged in the analysis: 'To be', 'To want', 'To be able to' and 'To do'. These comprise different aspects within physical and metaphysical dimensions where simultaneously interact and influence each other.

CONCLUSION

There are central elements to the practice of caring that are separated in their simplicity but at the same time coherent, where no part can exist without the others in the practice of caring. There are shortcomings concerning current nursing theories, nursing philosophies and organisational documents related to varied aspects based on what is included in the practice of caring.

What are the challenges for nurses when providing end-of-life care in intensive care units?

AIM

this literature review aimed to explore qualitative studies in which nurses discussed the challenges they face when delivering end-of-life care in intensive care units (ICUs). Analysis and discussion of the studies' findings aimed to contribute to the current evidence base surrounding the subject.

METHOD

a systematic search of academic databases was conducted to source relevant studies. An inductive process using grounded theory was undertaken to elicit suitable themes to address the review question.

FINDINGS

six relevant studies were identified with four main themes emerging from analysis. The themes were a lack of nurse involvement in end-of-life care decision-making, a lack of nursing knowledge in providing end-of-life care, the dilemma of prioritising care between the patient and family, and the nature of providing end-of-life care within an ICU environment.

CONCLUSION

the provision of end-of-life care in ICUs requires nurses to be involved in interdisciplinary communication. ICU-specific end-of-life care education, training and guidelines need to be implemented to ensure patients receive high-quality, patient-centred care.

ATTITUDES IN FRONT OF DEATH: NURSES’ VIEWS IN THE HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT

ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze the relationship between personal characteristics and the profile of attitudes towards death among nurses in a Portuguese hospital. Method: a cross-sectional, quantitative, exploratory and descriptive study, carried out in a hospital in the North of Portugal, with 981 nurses, who answered a questionnaire composed by the scale of evaluation of the Profile of Attitudes about Death. Data collection was carried out in February and March 2018 in the services, and the findings went through descriptive and analytical statistical analysis with the aid of the SPSS software. Results: the nurses revealed to have the attitudes of approach (36.29 points), fear (27.82 points), neutrality (27.25 points), avoidance (17.48 points) and escape (15.52 points) in the face of death, and these were associated with the different socio-occupational characteristics of these professionals, including gender, marital status, age, having children, type of employment relationship, professional category, specialty, time of service, and the practice or belief of some religion. Conclusion: the profile of the nurses' attitudes towards death is influenced by their socio-professional characteristics, which points to the importance of rethinking training strategies in the academic environment, in health organizations and in services, favoring the better reception of patients and family members, but also in relieving the suffering of the professionals in the face of finitude.

Perceptions of Palliative Care Nurses Related to Death and Palliative Care Practices

This study has been conducted with the purpose of identifying the perceptions of palliative nurses about death and determining palliative care practices. We conducted qualitative interviews with 23 palliative care nurses in Turkey. Content analysis was used in the evaluation of the data. Three themes have been identified about perception of death. Furthermore, three themes have been identified about palliative care practices. It was concluded that the palliative nurses perceive death as a natural and inevitable process and that as long as their working period increases, they become desensitized. It was identified that the participants generally perform the following procedures in palliative care practices.

Medical assistance in dying: A political issue for nurses and nursing in Canada

Death and dying are natural phenomena embedded within complex political, cultural and social systems. Nurses often practice at the forefront of this process and have a fundamental role in caring for both patients and those close to them during the process of dying and following death. While nursing has a rich tradition in advancing the palliative and end-of-life care movement, new modes of care for patients with serious and irremediable medical conditions arise when assisted death is legalized in a particular jurisdiction. In early 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada released its landmark decision Carter v. Canada (Attorney General) ('Carter'), which legalized physician-assisted suicide in particular clinical situations. The new law provided the broad national framework for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in Canada but, once the law was passed, provincial and territorial governments and health professional regulatory bodies each had to undertake a process of developing policies, procedures and processes to guide MAiD-related practice specific to their jurisdiction. In this paper, we begin to examine the political ramifications and professional tensions arising from MAiD for nurses and nursing, focusing specifically upon the impacts for registered nurses. We identify how variations in the provincial and territorial literature and regulatory guidelines across Canada have given rise to role confusion and uncertainty among some registered nurses and how this may potentially impact patient care. We then continue to highlight the need for greater political activism among nurses to foster greater clarity in nursing roles in MAiD and to advocate for improved supports for patients and those close to them.

Belastungen und Ressourcen von Pflegekräften der spezialisierten Palliativversorgung - Eine explorative Querschnittstudie

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: In Deutschland gibt es keine Studie, die Belastungen und Ressourcen von Pflegekräften der spezialisierten Palliativversorgung vergleichend erhebt. Ziel: Ziel waren die Erhebung und der Vergleich von Belastungen und Ressourcen von Pflegekräften in Palliativstationen, Hospizen und der spezialisierten ambulanten Palliativversorgung (SAPV). Methode: Pflegekräfte aus den genannten Settings in Rheinland-Pfalz, wurden 2015 mittels eines selbst entwickelten Fragebogens zu Belastungen und Ressourcen befragt. Es wurden Kontingenz- und Gruppenanalysen sowie Regressionen durchgeführt. Ergebnisse: 149 Pflegekräfte (Rücklauf 34,5 %) nahmen an der Befragung teil. Pflegekräfte auf Palliativstationen gaben in allen Belastungsbereichen höhere Werte an als Pflegekräfte in Hospizen und der SAPV. Pflegekräfte in Palliativstationen und Hospizen nannten emotionale Belastungen als stärksten belastenden Faktor, Pflegekräfte der SAPV patientenbezogene Belastungen. Es wurde ein Zusammenhang zwischen dem Belastungserleben und einer Zusatzqualifikation in Palliative Care festgestellt (adjustierte Odds Ratio (aOR) für Belastung durch organisatorische Rahmenbedingungen: 2,56, KI: 1,06 – 6,19; aOR für Belastung durch Betreuung von Angehörigen: 2,99, KI: 1,06 – 8,46). Bei den Ressourcen Familie, Gruppensupervision und Zusatzqualifikation unterschieden sich die Settings. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Studie gibt einen Einblick in das Belastungserleben und mögliche Ressourcen von Pflegekräften in Palliativstationen, Hospizen und der SAPV in Rheinland-Pfalz. Künftige Präventionsmaßnahmen sollten auf die jeweiligen Settings zugeschnitten sein.

Death and dying: contributions to a practice based on nursing theoretical frameworks

OBJECTIVE

To identify nurses' agreement on nursing conceptions with the potential to support their practice in the death and dying process context.

METHOD

An exploratory and descriptive study with a quantitative approach was carried out with 3,451 nurses from 36 hospitals in Portugal, from July 2015 to March 2016. Data collection was carried out with the use of questionnaires and data analysis was carried out by means of descriptive and inferential statistics.

RESULTS

Among conceptions with the potential to support practice, nurses highlighted those from Virginia Henderson, Afaf Meleis, and Madeleine Leininger. The following variables influenced the degree of agreement: region, service, gender, professional training, and length of professional practice.

CONCLUSION

Considering current challenges of a practice that is mostly based on meeting needs, the relevance of nursing practices' purposes emerges in order to facilitate experiencing death and the dying process in culturally significant ways.

Honoring Life After Death: Mapping the Spread of the Pause

Background:

Health care is a high-risk environment for clinicians and patients. The risk of burnout increases with increased patient acuity and workload demands. The Pause is a contemplative intervention that has been deployed to foster honor and self-care.

Objective:

We aimed to reveal how clinicians and educators use The Pause and how it changes systems of thinking or practice.

Methods:

Using a modified Delphi method, we interviewed 11 participants who had used The Pause or intend on using it.

Results:

The Pause is being used in 4 continents and many countries. It is most widely learned about by the bedside in practice settings. Participants believe it is malleable and has a powerful systemic effect in fostering a culture of support and honor.

Conclusion:

The Pause should continue to be taught in clinical scenarios to foster a broader humanistic ethos in health care.

Barriers to ethical nursing practice for older adults in long-term care facilities

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To explore barriers to ethical nursing practice for older adults in long-term care facilities from the perspectives of nurses in South Korea.

BACKGROUND

The number of older adults admitted to long-term care facilities is increasing rapidly in South Korea. To provide this population with quality care, a solid moral foundation should be emphasised to ensure the provision of ethical nursing practices. Barriers to implementing an ethical nursing practice for older adults in long-term care facilities have not been fully explored in previous literature.

DESIGN

A qualitative, descriptive design was used to explore barriers to ethical nursing practice as perceived by registered nurses in long-term care facilities in South Korea.

METHODS

Individual interviews were conducted with 17 registered nurses recruited using purposive (snowball) sampling who care for older adults in long-term care facilities in South Korea. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

Five main themes emerged from the data analysis concerning barriers to the ethical nursing practice of long-term care facilities: emotional distress, treatments restricting freedom of physical activities, difficulty coping with emergencies, difficulty communicating with the older adult patients and friction between nurses and nursing assistants.

CONCLUSIONS

This study has identified methods that could be used to improve ethical nursing practices for older adults in long-term care facilities. Because it is difficult to improve the quality of care through education and staffing alone, other factors may also require attention.

RELEVANCE FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

Support programmes and educational opportunities are needed for nurses who experience emotional distress and lack of competency to strengthen their resilience towards some of the negative aspects of care and being a nurse that were identified in this study.

Norwegian and Swedish nursing students’ concerns about dying

Providing care for dying patients is demanding for nurses. The aim of this study was to investigate Norwegian and Swedish nursing students’ concerns about dying and sense of coherence in their first and third year. Further, to describe the students’ experiences of caring for dying patients during their education. Nursing students in their first and third year in Norway ( n = 64) and Sweden ( n = 79) responded to the questionnaire Concerns about Dying and Sense of Coherence Scale. Interviews were conducted with 11 students. In their third year, both groups reported reduced concerns with regard to their own death. Norwegian students with no experience in healthcare before education reported more concerns about dying patients. Caring for a dying patient was experienced as a challenge to endure, perform and learn. There is a need to develop teaching methods and to give individualized support to nursing students during their education.

Tidying rooms and tending hearts: An explorative, mixed-methods study of hospital cleaning staff's experiences with seriously ill and dying patients

BACKGROUND/AIM

Palliative care is based on multi-professional team work. In this study, we investigated how cleaning staff communicate and interact with seriously ill and dying patients as well as how cleaning staff cope with the situation of death and dying.

DESIGN

Sequential mixed methods, consisting of semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and a questionnaire. Interviews and focus group discussions were content analyzed and results were used to create a questionnaire. Quantitative data were submitted to descriptive analysis.

SETTING

Large university clinic in southern Germany.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 10 cleaning staff participated in the interviews and 6 cleaning staff took part in the focus group discussion. In addition, three managerial cleaning staff participated in a separate focus group. Questionnaires were given to all cleaning staff ( n = 240) working at the clinic in September 2008, and response rate was 52% (125/240).

RESULTS

Cleaning staff described interactions with patients as an important and fulfilling aspect of their work. About half of participants indicated that patients talk with them every day, on average for 1-3 min. Conversations often revolved around casual topics such as weather and family, but patients also discussed their illness and, occasionally, thoughts regarding death with cleaning staff. When patients addressed illness and death, cleaning staff often felt uncomfortable and helpless.

CONCLUSION

Cleaning staff perceive that they have an important role in the clinic-not only cleaning but also supporting patients. Likewise, patients appreciate being able to speak openly with cleaning staff. Still, it appears that cleaning staff may benefit from additional training in communication about sensitive issues such as illness and death.