Open this publication in new window or tab >>2023 (English)In: BMC Palliative Care, E-ISSN 1472-684X, Vol. 22, no 1, article id 108Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Background
In palliative care, registered nurses provide advanced nursing care to relieve patients’ symptoms and increase their quality of life based on physical, mental, social and existential dimensions. Conversations, often about existential issues, are an important part of nursing and can affect quality of life positively. Confidential conversations between patients and nurses occur naturally while other nursing activities are being performed. Despite their great importance for palliative care these are rarely described.
Aim
To gain a deeper understanding of how nurses in palliative care experience and describe confidential conversations with patients.
Method
Secondary analysis of data from 17 open-ended face-to-face interviews with registered nurses in palliative care was conducted. Qualitative content analysis using an inductive approach was used to gain a deeper understanding and analyse the latent content.
Results
The confidential conversation was considered an important part of palliative care and is the nurse’s responsibility. This responsibility was described as complex and placed various demands on the nurses, both personal and professional. A prerequisite for the conversation was the interpersonal relationship. The conversation allowed the patient to process important matters not previously addressed or put into words. It had no predetermined content, was unplanned and entirely on the patient’s terms. For nurses the conversation could be experienced both as draining and a source of power and strength. The nurses also described safeguarding the patient through the conversation.
Conclusion
Nurses’ confidential conversations with patients are essential in palliative care and must be highlighted more to increase the quality of palliative care. The confidential conversations often have an existential content and are challenging for the nurses. Therefore, nurses need time, knowledge, and supervision to increase their conversation skills.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer Nature, 2023
Keywords
Confidential conversations, Existential issues, Hospice, Nurse-patient-relationship, Palliative care, Qualitative research
National Category
Nursing
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-48988 (URN)10.1186/s12904-023-01228-y (DOI)001037092500001 ()37518580 (PubMedID)2-s2.0-85165872314 (Scopus ID)
Funder
Mid Sweden University
2023-08-082023-08-082024-01-17Bibliographically approved