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Hertzberg CK, Heggestad AKT, Magelssen M. Blurred lines: Ethical challenges related to autonomy in home-based care. Nurs Ethics 2023:9697330231215951. [PMID: 38117689 DOI: 10.1177/09697330231215951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Home-based care workers mainly work alone in the patient's home. They encounter a diverse patient population with complex health issues. This inevitably leads to several ethical challenges. AIM The aim is to gain insight into ethical challenges related to patient autonomy in home-based care and how home-based care staff handle such challenges. RESEARCH DESIGN The study is based on a 9-month fieldwork, including participant observation and interviews in home-based care. Data were analysed with a thematic analysis approach. PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT The study took place within home-based care in three municipalities in Eastern Norway, with six staff members as key informants. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS The Norwegian Agency for Shared Services in Education and Research evaluated the study. All participants were competent to consent and signed an informed consent form. FINDINGS A main challenge was that staff found it difficult to respect the patient's autonomy while at the same time practicing appropriate care. We found two main themes: Autonomy and risk in tension; and strategies to balance autonomy and risk. These were explicated in four sub-themes: Refusing and resisting care; when choosing to live at home becomes risky; sweet-talking and coaxing; and building trust over time. Staff's threshold for considering the use of coercion appeared to be high. CONCLUSIONS Arguably, home-based care staff need improved knowledge of coercion and the legislation regulating it. There is also a need for arenas for ethics reflection and building of competence in balancing ethical values in recurrent ethical problems.
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Moermans VRA, Hamers JPH, Verbeek H, de Casterlé BD, Milisen K, Bleijlevens MHC. District nurses' experiences with involuntary treatment in dementia care at home: a qualitative descriptive study. BMC Nurs 2023; 22:394. [PMID: 37853344 PMCID: PMC10585764 DOI: 10.1186/s12912-023-01553-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research shows that half of person(s) living with dementia (PLWD) receive care which they resist and/or have not given consent to, defined as involuntary treatment. District nurses play a key role in providing this care. Knowledge about how district nurses experience involuntary treatment is lacking. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe the experiences of district nurses who used involuntary treatment for PLWD at home. METHODS A qualitative descriptive design using semi-structured interviews. Sixteen district nurses with experience in involuntary treatment for PLWD were recruited through purposive sampling. Data were analysed using the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven. RESULTS District nurses' experiences with involuntary treatment were influenced by their involvement in the decision-making process. When they were involved, they considered involuntary treatment use to be appropriate care. However, at the moment that involuntary treatment use was started, district nurses were worried that its use was unjust since they wished to respect the wishes of the PLWD. Eventually, district nurses found, from a professional perspective, that involuntary treatment use was necessary, and that safety outweighed the autonomy of the PLWD. District nurses experienced dealing with this dilemma as stressful, due to conflicting values. If district nurses were not involved in the decision-making process regarding the use of involuntary treatment, family caregivers generally decided on its use. Often, district nurses perceived this request as inappropriate dementia care and they first tried to create a dialogue with the family caregivers to reach a compromise. However, in most cases, family caregivers stood by their request and the district nurse still provided involuntary treatment and found this difficult to tolerate. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that district nurses experience involuntary treatment use as stressful due to dealing with obverse values of safety versus autonomy. To prevent involuntary treatment use and obverse values, we need to increase their ethical awareness, communication skills, knowledge and skills with person-centred care so they can deal with situations that can evolve into involuntary treatment use in a person-centred manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent R A Moermans
- Department of Health Services Research, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Duboisdomein 30, Maastricht, 6229 GT, The Netherlands.
- Department of Nursing, White Yellow Cross Limburg, Genk, Belgium.
- Living Lab in Ageing and Long-Term Care, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - Jan P H Hamers
- Department of Health Services Research, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Duboisdomein 30, Maastricht, 6229 GT, The Netherlands
- Living Lab in Ageing and Long-Term Care, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Hilde Verbeek
- Department of Health Services Research, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Duboisdomein 30, Maastricht, 6229 GT, The Netherlands
- Living Lab in Ageing and Long-Term Care, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Koen Milisen
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Academic Centre for Nursing and Midwifery, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Michel H C Bleijlevens
- Department of Health Services Research, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Duboisdomein 30, Maastricht, 6229 GT, The Netherlands
- Living Lab in Ageing and Long-Term Care, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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Haaland GH, Øygarden O, Storm M, Mikkelsen A. Understanding registered nurses' career choices in home care services: a qualitative study. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:273. [PMID: 36944939 PMCID: PMC10029251 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09259-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The anticipated growth in number of older people with long-term health problems is associated with a greater need for registered nurses. Home care services needs enough nurses that can deliver high quality services in patients' homes. This article improves our understanding of nurses' career choices in home care services. METHODS A qualitative study using individual semi-structured interviews with 20 registered nurses working in home care services. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and thematically analyzed. RESULTS The analysis resulted in three themes emphasizing the importance of multiple stakeholders and contextual factors, fit with nurses' private life, and meaning of work. The results offer important insights that can be used to improve organizational policy and HR practices to sustain a workforce of registered nurses in home care services. CONCLUSION The results illustrate the importance of having a whole life perspective to understand nurses' career choices, and how nurses' career preferences changes over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guro Hognestad Haaland
- Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway.
- Business School, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway.
| | | | - Marianne Storm
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Care, Molde University College, Molde, Norway
| | - Aslaug Mikkelsen
- Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
- Business School, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
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