ASSIGNMENT: FOUNDATIONS OF NURSING RESEARCH

 ASSIGNMENT: FOUNDATIONS OF NURSING RESEARCH

The team has access to clinical supervision, but uptake has been low. There have been studies conducted with palliative care nurses working in a hospice setting, but few published studies have specifically looked at hospice nurses working out in the community. Background Many studies have described nursing as a demanding and stressful profession, particularly for those involved in direct clinical care (Hawkins et al, 2007; Edmunds, 2010). Compassion fatigue can be caused by being overly sympathetic to patients, having unrealistic expectations of outcomes, and going through personal crises (Abendroth and Flannery, 2006). It may have an impact on someone who is caring for someone who is going through a traumatic event, such as death. A nurse may feel helpless and respond by turning off his or her emotions. Compassion fatigue is frequently associated with burnout, which is defined as: emotional exhaustion, sometimes accompanied by a cynical attitude, that can be experienced by individuals in a caring role (Maslach and Jackson, 1991).

Burnout can have an impact on a nurse’s mental and physical health, lowering the quality of their nursing care (Maslach and Jackson, 1991). Some people believe that burnout is contagious. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, Vol. 18, No. 6, 2012. Abstract Although there have been studies on hospice nurses and stress, very few have focused on community hospice nurses. The purpose of this study was to investigate hospice at home nurses’ experiences caring for palliative and dying patients. Hospice at home nurses from North West Wales were interviewed, and the data was categorized using a grounded theory approach into the following themes: job satisfaction, stressors, coping strategies, and support. The study’s recommendations include encouraging the use of clinical supervision, attendance at multidisciplinary meetings, stress-awareness training, and raising awareness of the role of hospice at home nurses in primary care. Implementing these recommendations may be beneficial to employee well-being.

More research would be needed to determine whether such recommendations can help to prevent sickness and promote employee retention. Key phrases: # Stress and coping • Dying patients • Qualitative methods that can be communicated from one nurse to another (Bakker et al, 2005). Palliative care nursing is frequently regarded as a mentally distressing and stressful specialty (Gambles et al, 2003). All patients in palliative care nurses’ care have an incurable illness with a life-limiting prognosis and are expected to die. Furthermore, national strategies, such as the United Kingdom’s End of Life Care Strategy (Department of Health, 2008), advocate for high-quality care for all adults nearing the end of their lives, including those with complex needs.

This may create additional challenges and stress for palliative care staff. However, it is now recognized that the advantages of early intervention and symptom control in the palliative patient aid in the maintenance of quality of life (World Health Organization, 2002). Furthermore, studies show that palliative care staff experience less burnout than other specialties, such as oncology and intensive care nursing (Vachon, 1995). Hospice nurses have also been reported to have lower levels of distress than staff. Betsi Cadwalader University Health Board, Palliative Care Department, Bodfan Eryri Hospital, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 2YE, Wales, Karen Tunnah is Hospice at Home Nurse; Angela Jones is Clinical Nurse Manager; and Rosalynde Johnstone is Project Manager. Rosalynde Johnstone should be contacted. 283 Rosalynde.Johnstone® wales.nhs.uk Research ^ According to studies, even though staff perceive themselves to be coping, many nurses do experience compassion fatigue and burnout…* working in other areas, which suggests that hospices are positive places to work (Payne, 2001). The same study looked at burnout and hospice nurses’ stressors, coping strategies, and demographics. It discovered that stressors such as conflict with coworkers contributed the most to burnout. It has also been emphasized that labeling an individual as coping ‘well’ or ‘badly’ in relation to burnout can oversimplify the coping/burnout relationship (Payne, 2001). The participants in this study were hospice at home nurses working in the community, which is incompatible with the nurses in Payne’s study (2001). The hospice at home nurse’s role embraces the biopsychosocial approach to human functioning, particularly in the context of illness or disease (Engel, 1977). The importance of psychosocial factors in nursing is recognized, and close, holistic relationships with patients are encouraged (Aldridge, 1994; Luker, 1997).

This can take a considerable amount of time (Skilbeck and Payne, 2003). Hospice at home nurses can spend