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Broden EG, Eche-Ugwu IJ, DeCourcey DD, Wolfe J, Hinds PS, Snaman J. "At Least I Can Push this Morphine": PICU Nurses' Approaches to Suffering Among Dying Children. J Pain Symptom Manage 2024; 68:132-141.e2. [PMID: 38679304 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2024.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
CONTEXT Parents of children who die in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) carry memories of their child's suffering throughout a lifelong grieving experience. Given their prolonged time at the bedside, PICU nurses are poised to attend to dying children's suffering. OBJECTIVES We aimed to explore how PICU nurses identify, assess, and attend to EOL suffering. METHODS Interpretive descriptive qualitative study with thematic analysis of virtual focus groups from a geographically diverse sample of PICU nurses. RESULTS Nurses participated in five focus groups (N = 19). Most identified as White (89%) females (95%) with a range of 1-24 years of PICU experience and involvement in >10 EOL care cases (89%). Nurses described approaches to suffering within five themes: 1) Identifying and easing perceptible elements; 2) Recognizing and responding to subtleties moment-to-moment; 3) Acclimating to family interdependence; 4) Synchronizing nurse in-the-room insight with systemic complexity; and 5) Accounting for ambiguity. Nurses detailed elements of suffering they could "fix" with straightforward, external interventions (e.g., pain medication). More complex tasks like optimizing care within familial and interprofessional team relationships while navigating psychosocial responses from children and families challenged nurses. Nurses attempted to minimize EOL suffering amidst ambiguity and complexity using internal processes including managing the environment and titrating moment-to-moment care. CONCLUSIONS While physical suffering may be remedied with direct nursing care, holistically attending to EOL suffering in the PICU requires both bolstering external processes and strengthening PICU nurses' internal resources. Improving psychosocial training and optimizing interprofessional care systems could better support dying children and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth G Broden
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care (E.G.B., J.S.), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston Massachussetts; National Clinician Scholars Program (E.G.B.), Yale Schools of Medicine and Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut.
| | - Ijeoma Julie Eche-Ugwu
- Phyllis F. Cantor Center for Research in Nursing and Patient Care Services(I.J.E.U.), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachussetts
| | - Danielle D DeCourcey
- Department of Pediatrics (D.D.D., J.W., J.S.), Harvard Medical School Boston, Massachussetts; Division of Medical Critical Care (D.D.D.), Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachussetts
| | - Joanne Wolfe
- Department of Pediatrics (D.D.D., J.W., J.S.), Harvard Medical School Boston, Massachussetts; Department of Pediatrics (J.W.), Massachusetts General Hospital and Department of Pediatrics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachussetts
| | - Pamela S Hinds
- Department of Nursing Science (P.H.), Professional Practice and Quality, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC; Department of Pediatrics (P.H.), The George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Jennifer Snaman
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care (E.G.B., J.S.), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston Massachussetts; Department of Pediatrics (D.D.D., J.W., J.S.), Harvard Medical School Boston, Massachussetts
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Engbers RA, Bekhet AK, Jerofke-Owen T, Johnson NL, Singh M. Psychometric properties of the Positive Thinking Skills Scale among undergraduate nursing students. Arch Psychiatr Nurs 2024; 50:21-26. [PMID: 38789229 DOI: 10.1016/j.apnu.2024.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Increasing the resilience of undergraduate nursing students is essential for the individual student's well-being and the healthcare system dealing with a looming nursing shortage. Undergraduate nursing students have reported that positive thinking and positive reframing are ways of coping with exposure to suffering, but measurement of these skills remains limited in this population. This is the first study to examine the psychometric properties of the Positive Thinking Skills Scale specifically in undergraduate nursing students and in a sample that includes students from both public and private universities. Internal consistency was demonstrated with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.824, convergent validity was demonstrated with correlations with measures of views of suffering and professional quality of life, and the one-factor structure was supported in a sample of 157 undergraduate nursing students. The Positive Thinking Skills Scale can be a useful tool to both assess and measure the development of positive thinking skills in undergraduate nursing students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth A Engbers
- College of Nursing, Marquette University, Milwaukee, United States of America.
| | - Abir K Bekhet
- College of Nursing, Marquette University, Milwaukee, United States of America
| | - Teresa Jerofke-Owen
- College of Nursing, Marquette University, Milwaukee, United States of America
| | - Norah L Johnson
- College of Nursing, Marquette University, Milwaukee, United States of America
| | - Maharaj Singh
- College of Nursing, Marquette University, Milwaukee, United States of America
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Rattner M, Cait CA. Nonphysical Suffering: An Under-Resourced and Key Role for Hospice and Palliative Care Social Workers. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK IN END-OF-LIFE & PALLIATIVE CARE 2024; 20:8-25. [PMID: 37948164 DOI: 10.1080/15524256.2023.2272590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
This article highlights recent research findings that have significance for hospice and palliative care social work in Canada, and for the field of hospice and palliative care more broadly. A 2020 discourse analysis study examined the experiences of 24 interdisciplinary palliative care clinicians across Canada in their work with patients' nonphysical suffering. Nonphysical suffering is suffering that may be emotional, psychological, social, spiritual and/or existential in nature. The study found an absence of specialist social workers on hospice and palliative care teams or limited time for specialist social workers to address patients' nonphysical suffering due to high caseloads and complex practical needs. While the study recognizes social workers have expertise in supporting patients' nonphysical suffering, a competency and skill that has not been sufficiently captured in the existing literature, the systemic barriers they face in providing care may leave patients' needs unmet. The study also highlights the unique pressure social workers may feel to relieve patients' nonphysical suffering due to the psychosocial focus of their role. The need for specialist social workers to be included and adequately resourced on hospice and palliative care teams across diverse settings in Canada is evident.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxxine Rattner
- Faculty of Social Work, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada
| | - Cheryl-Anne Cait
- Faculty of Social Work, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada
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Tarbi EC, Broden EG, Rosa WE, Hayden A, Morgan BE. Existential Care in Daily Nursing Practice. Am J Nurs 2023; 123:42-48. [PMID: 37732668 PMCID: PMC10805359 DOI: 10.1097/01.naj.0000979092.39243.d4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Relationship-centered palliative nursing during serious illness requires existential care. Yet, multilevel systemic barriers hinder nurses' ability to provide this care. The authors suggest ways to navigate these barriers, highlighting existential care priorities that nurses can attend to in their daily practice. These include 1) maintaining a strengths-based orientation, 2) taking a life course perspective, 3) grounding care firmly in relationships, and 4) responding moment to moment. They propose that by emphasizing existential care in palliative nursing, we can create a more compassionate and human-centered health system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise C Tarbi
- Elise C. Tarbi is an assistant professor in the Department of Nursing at the University of Vermont in Burlington. Elizabeth G. Broden is a fellow in the Yale National Clinician Scholars Program in New Haven, CT, and has received funding from a National Institutes of Health training grant (5T32HS017589) to the Yale School of Public Health. William E. Rosa is assistant attending behavioral scientist, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City. Adam Hayden is an independent scholar and unaffiliated patient advocate. Brianna E. Morgan is a postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, NYU Langone Health in New York City. Contact author: Elise C. Tarbi, . The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise
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Neto IG. Palliative care and its own identity, through an autoethnography: do you recognize these patterns? Palliat Care Soc Pract 2022; 16:26323524221122346. [PMID: 36118620 PMCID: PMC9478704 DOI: 10.1177/26323524221122346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: After more than 25 years working in palliative care (PC) observing thousands
of patients and family behaviors, I use my long experience and notes as a
source of data for a qualitative research study. The aim is to identify
frequent families’ behavior patterns in PC and better describe the culture
in PC. Methods: This article is part of a larger project, using autoethnography as
methodology, with the aim of helping doctors and interested health
professionals better understand the culture and reality of PC. The focus is
not the author but patients and families’ patterns of
social behavior – the social context – within the
end-of-life period and how to deal with these professionally.
Confidentiality and privacy of patients’ data were guaranteed. Results: The vast number of treated cases, the regular observation and recording, and
the continuous reflection and analysis over many years have led to these
results. Due to editorial restrictions, in this article I only describe four
of at least eight typical scenarios I have identified. Each is given a short
title and I explore some of their inside-issues, integrating previous
knowledge, research, and explanations, with practical suggestions on how to
deal with them. Significance: As far as we know, these scenarios/patterns have never been described in this
way. This work expands knowledge, innovates, and contributes to better
describing PC culture. The final goal is to create a set of scripts that can
be used to help clinicians quickly identify the clinical situation and how
to deal with it in clinical practice. Reflecting on how patients and
families frequently behave in PC can be very useful and then teach other
professionals to better deal with these challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Galriça Neto
- Palliative Care Unit, Hospital da Luz-Lisboa, Lisbon University Medical School, Catolica University Medical School, Av.Lusíada 100, Lisboa 1500-650, Portugal
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Tarbi EC, Gramling R, Bradway C, Meghani SH. "If it's the time, it's the time": Existential communication in naturally-occurring palliative care conversations with individuals with advanced cancer, their families, and clinicians. PATIENT EDUCATION AND COUNSELING 2021; 104:2963-2968. [PMID: 33992483 PMCID: PMC8578593 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2021.04.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore how patients with advanced cancer, their families, and palliative care clinicians communicate about existential experience during palliative care conversations. METHODS We analyzed data from the Palliative Care Communication Research Initiative (PCCRI) - a multisite cohort study conducted between 2014 and 2016 involving hospitalized adults with advanced cancer who were referred for inpatient palliative care consultations at two academic medical centers. We used a qualitative descriptive approach paired with inductive content analysis to analyze a random subsample of 30 patients from the PCCRI study (contributing to 38 palliative care conversations). RESULTS We found existential communication to be woven throughout palliative care conversations, with key themes related to: 1) time as a pressing boundary; 2) maintaining a coherent self; and 3) connecting with others. CONCLUSION Communication about existential experience is omnipresent and varied in palliative care conversations between individuals with advanced cancer, their families, and clinicians. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Clinicians can recognize that discussion of time, routines of daily life, and relationships in the clinical context may hold profound existential relevance in palliative care conversations. Understanding how patients and families talk about existential experience in conversation can create opportunities for clinicians to better meet these needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise C Tarbi
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, USA; NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, USA.
| | - Robert Gramling
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, USA
| | - Christine Bradway
- NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Salimah H Meghani
- NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, USA
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Rattner M. COVID-19: Encountering Never-Before-Known Suffering. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK IN END-OF-LIFE & PALLIATIVE CARE 2021; 17:104-107. [PMID: 33576314 DOI: 10.1080/15524256.2021.1881692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Maxxine Rattner
- Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work, Wilfrid Laurier University, Kitchener, Canada
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Marmo S, Berkman C. Hospice social workers' perception of being valued by the interdisciplinary team and the association with job satisfaction. SOCIAL WORK IN HEALTH CARE 2020; 59:219-235. [PMID: 32186477 DOI: 10.1080/00981389.2020.1737306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Being valued and respected by colleagues is an important contributor to job satisfaction in hospice and other health care settings. The purpose of this study was to examine how the perception of feeling valued by different members of the interdisciplinary team and interdependence of team members are related to hospice social workers' job satisfaction. The study aims were to examine: (1) the degree to which hospice social workers feel valued by other members of the interdisciplinary team; and 2) whether this is associated with job satisfaction. A nonprobability sample of 203 hospice social workers completed an online survey assessing job satisfaction, perception of feeling valued by each of the professionals on the interdisciplinary hospice team, interdependence of team members, and professional and personal characteristics. The final regression model for intrinsic job satisfaction included feeling valued by doctors and by other social workers, and interdisciplinary interdependence. The final model for extrinsic job satisfaction did not include any of the perception of feeling valued by others on the interdisciplinary team, although interdependence and the number of social workers at the hospice were significant in this model. Reasons for the difference in these models and the practice and policy implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne Marmo
- School of Social Work, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA
| | - Cathy Berkman
- Graduate School of Social Service, Fordham University, New York City, New York, USA
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