Carer and staff perceptions of end-of-life care provision: case of a hospice-at-home service

Trainee district nurses' understanding and perceptions of the palliative care key worker role: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

The district nurse is identified as a keyworker in community based palliative care. However, a dearth of research exists on trainees' views and understanding of adopting the role upon qualification.

AIMS

The aim of this study was to explore the understanding and perceptions of district nurse trainees in relation to the palliative care key worker role.

METHODS

Data was gathered via online semi-structured interviews (n=10) and the results were analysed using a thematic model.

FINDINGS

The four evolving themes included: understanding of the palliative care key worker role scope and function; the level of preparation for the role; a juggling act and embedding the role in practice.

CONCLUSION

The themes highlighted various drivers and barriers that reflect a degree of incongruence with policy and practice. Recommendations to standardise the palliative care key worker role, underpinned by formal preparation and clearly defined responsibilities may enhance future development and implementation of the role.

Co-designing Community Out-of-hours Palliative Care Services: A systematic literature search and review

BACKGROUND

In order to provide responsive, individualised and personalised care, there is now greater engagement with patients, families and carers in designing health services. Out-of-hours care is an essential component of community palliative care. However, little is known about how patients, families and carers have been involved in the planning and design of these services.

AIM

To systematically search and review the research literature that reports on how out-of-hours palliative care services are provided in the community and to identify the extent to which the principles of co-design have been used to inform the planning and design of these services.

DESIGN

Systematic literature search and review.

DATA SOURCES

A systematic search for published research papers from seven databases was conducted in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, Emcare, PubMed, CINAHL and Web of Science, from January 2010 and December 2021. Reference list searches of included papers were undertaken to source additional relevant literature. A manifest content analysis was used to analyse the data.

RESULTS

A total of 77 papers were included. The majority of out-of-hours services in the community were provided by primary care services. The review found little evidence that patients, families or carers were involved in the planning or development of out-of-hours services.

CONCLUSION

Incorporating patients, families and carers priorities and preferences in the planning and designing of out-of-hours palliative care service is needed for service providers to deliver care that is more patient-centred. Adopting the principles of co-design may improve how out-of-hours care scan be delivered.

The Caring Mission - Nursing Personnel's Inner Driving Force in End-of-Life Care

Constantly facing human suffering and impending death can generate anxiety and insecurity in nursing personnel in end-of-life care. The aim of the study is to reveal nursing personnel's inner driving force in end-of-life care. A phenomenological hermeneutical method was used to search for meaning in the narrative data collected in this study. The structural analysis resulted in four themes: The appeal in the patient's vulnerability, The appeal in the patient's joy, Facing one's own existence in vulnerability, and Being at home with colleagues. Both vulnerability and joy motivated nursing personnel in caring. The care was often emotionally engaging and oscillated between grief and joy, which required a great deal from the nursing personnel both as professionals and fellow human beings. At the same time the emotionally engaging constituted an inner driving force, which gave them courage to do the best for the patients at the end of life.