Psychological challenges for nurses working in palliative care and recommendations for self-care

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (8) ◽  
pp. 484-489
Author(s):  
Feryad A Hussain
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Compassion Fatigue ◽  
Moral Distress ◽  
Professional Lives ◽  
Healthcare Staff ◽  
Emotional Challenges ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Palliative Care Services

Working in palliative care services has an impact on the personal and professional lives of healthcare staff. The complex practicalities of the role and additional factors such as moral distress, burnout, compassion fatigue and death anxiety all impact on the overall quality of services and patient care. This article aims to highlight what is known of the practical and emotional challenges for palliative nursing care and offers recommendations to services to support staff at an organisational as well as individual level, to help create a more supportive workplace for staff and patients alike. It follows previous research on working in palliative and end-of-life care.

Burnout, compassion fatigue, and moral distress in palliative care

2021 ◽  
pp. 166-180
Author(s):  
Nathan I. Cherny ◽  
Batsheva Ziff-Werman ◽  
Michael Kearney
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Compassion Fatigue ◽  
Moral Distress ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Professional Lives ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Work Stressors ◽  
The Impact

Work in palliative care and, in particular, end of life care is associated with inherent stressors that affect the well-being of clinicians working in the field. Work stressors may have diverse impacts on the emotional and professional lives of palliative care and hospice staff, including every member of the clinical team, volunteers, and administrators. They may negatively affect professional function and adversely influence the effectiveness and quality of care. They also may compromise the ability to sustain a career in palliative care. This chapter reviews issues related to burnout, compassion fatigue and moral distress, exploring contributing factors, describing the impact of these phenomena, and presenting strategies to prevent and to manage them.

scholarly journals Identifying Palliative Care Needs in Assisted Living

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 788-788
Author(s):  
Daniel David ◽  
Abraham Brody ◽  
Tina Sadarangani ◽  
Bei Wu ◽  
Tara Cortez
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Assisted Living ◽  
Unmet Needs ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Code Status ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Palliative Care Services ◽  
Advance Care ◽  
Palliative Care Needs

Abstract Many residents of Assisted Living (AL) confront serious illness and therefore might benefit from greater access to Palliative Care Services to improve quality of life. We surveyed resident records and AL nursing staff to identify patients in need of Palliative Care. Preliminary findings showed that nurses predicted 23% would not be alive and 49% would no longer live in AL. A majority of residents were over the age of 90, yet 30% did not have a reported code status. These findings suggest that a substantial portion of AL residents may have unmet needs with respect to palliative care. Future interventions are needed to support advance care planning conversations and make palliative care more accessible to this population.

Measuring Quality of Care in Palliative Care Services

2000 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene J. Higginson ◽  
Anna L. Romer
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Palliative Care Services

The Australian Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration (PCOC) - measuring the quality and outcomes of palliative care on a routine basis

2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy Eagar ◽  
Prue Watters ◽  
David C. Currow ◽  
Samar M. Aoun ◽  
Patsy Yates
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Specialist Palliative Care ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Routine Basis ◽  
Palliative Care Services ◽  
Care Outcomes ◽  
Quality And Outcomes

Australia is leading the way in establishing a national system (the Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration – PCOC) to measure the outcomes and quality of specialist palliative care services and to benchmark services across the country. This article reports on analysis of data collected routinely at point-of-care on 5939 patients treated by the first fifty one services that voluntarily joined PCOC. By March 2009, 111 services have agreed to join PCOC, representing more than 70% of services and more than 80% of specialist palliative care patients nationally. All states and territories are involved in this unique process that has involved extensive consultation and infrastructure and close collaboration between health services and researchers. The challenges of dealing with wide variation in outcomes and practice and the progress achieved to date are described. PCOC is aiming to improve understanding of the reasons for variations in clinical outcomes between specialist palliative care patients and differences in service outcomes as a critical step in an ongoing process to improve both service quality and patient outcomes. What is known about the topic?Governments internationally are grappling with how best to provide care for people with life limiting illnesses and how best to measure the outcomes and quality of that care. There is little international evidence on how to measure the quality and outcomes of palliative care on a routine basis. What does this paper add?The Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration (PCOC) is the first effort internationally to measure the outcomes and quality of specialist palliative care services and to benchmark services on a national basis through an independent third party. What are the implications for practitioners?If outcomes and quality are to be measured on a consistent national basis, standard clinical assessment tools that are used as part of everyday clinical practice are necessary.

scholarly journals Palliative care services: Issues and public health challenges

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-15
Author(s):  
Riawati Jahja
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Observational Studies ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Review Articles ◽  
Palliative Care Services

Trials have demonstrated improvement in patients’ quality of life through palliative care services (PCS). However, many of these trials are limited by their research methodologies. PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) were searched to conduct a systematic review of review articles related to PCS from January 2001 to December 2011. The paper examined evidence from studies on PCS that aimed to improve elderly patients’ end-of-life outcomes by i) systematically reviewing literature on models of palliative care (PC) delivery patients received; ii) exploring methodological issues surrounding recruitment of the patients, implementation of the studies and comparison of health care services; and iii) addressing the costs of care with/without a palliative program. Seventeen trials and three observational studies were selected from nine systematic review articles. Overall, early introduction of PC to patients following identification of their life-limiting conditions and needs re-quires an organized and coordinated care approach to ensure accessibility of these services. The ideal system that offers the potential of improving patients’ quality of life is one that is integrated, interdisciplinary and holistic. Dying is commonly institutionalized; however, providing outreach programs that allow patients to die at their place of wish, such as domiciliary care, offers the potential of addressing the issue of ever-increasing health-care expenditure for the aged. However, further investigation is needed to evaluate the cost effectiveness of these programs. Methodological problems and ethical issues surrounding the study of terminally-ill patients necessitate that researchers use a combination of observational studies and surveillance system over time. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/seajph.v2i2.15937 South East Asia J Public Health | Jul-Dec 2012 | Vol 2 Issue 2 | 5-15

scholarly journals Content validation of the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL with advanced cancer patients and health care professionals from palliative care services in Chile

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslye Rojas-Concha ◽  
Maiken Bang Hansen ◽  
Morten Aagaard Petersen ◽  
Mogens Groenvold
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Advanced Cancer ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Life Questionnaire ◽  
Advanced Cancer Patients ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Palliative Care Services ◽  
Eortc Qlq

Abstract Background: The assessment of patients’ quality of life (QOL) is essential when evaluating the outcome of palliative care; however, no instruments have been validated for measuring symptoms and QOL in patients receiving palliative care in Chile. We aimed to investigate the content validity of the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 15 Palliative Care (QLQ-C15-PAL), replicating the methods used previously to shorten the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (QLQ-C30) for use among patients in palliative care.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from October to November 2017 in four palliative care services. Patients with advanced cancer and health care professionals (HCPs) were invited to individual interviews to determine the relevance, appropriateness and relative importance of the 30 items of the QLQ-C30 for evaluating the outcome of palliative care, and whether relevant additional issues should be included. Results: A total of 48 patients and 35 HCPs participated. The most important dimensions selected were pain, physical functioning, sleeping difficulties, emotional functioning, nausea/vomiting, fatigue, and social functioning. Qualitative data identified important additional issues not covered by the questionnaire such as satisfaction with care, emotions and psychological support, as well as linguistic issues in the dyspnea and constipation items. Conclusions: The EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL showed good content validity in the assessment of symptoms and QOL of advanced cancer patients; therefore, we recommend the use of this questionnaire in palliative care in Chile. Dyspnea and constipation items were revised by the EORTC group. More research is needed to add a social dimension for a comprehensive assessment of patients’ QOL.

scholarly journals Content validation of the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL with advanced cancer patients and health care professionals from palliative care services in Chile

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslye Rojas-Concha ◽  
Maiken Bang Hansen ◽  
Morten Aagaard Petersen ◽  
Mogens Groenvold
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Advanced Cancer ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Life Questionnaire ◽  
Advanced Cancer Patients ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Palliative Care Services ◽  
Eortc Qlq

Abstract Background The assessment of patients’ quality of life (QOL) is essential when evaluating the outcome of palliative care; however, no instruments have been validated for measuring symptoms and QOL in patients receiving palliative care in Chile. We aimed to investigate the content validity of the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 15 Palliative Care (QLQ-C15-PAL), replicating the methods used previously to shorten the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (QLQ-C30) for use among patients in palliative care. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted from October to November 2017 in four palliative care services. Patients with advanced cancer and health care professionals (HCPs) were invited to individual interviews to determine the relevance, appropriateness and relative importance of the 30 items of the QLQ-C30 for evaluating the outcome of palliative care, and whether relevant additional issues should be included. Results A total of 48 patients and 35 HCPs participated. The most important dimensions selected were pain, physical functioning, sleeping difficulties, emotional functioning, nausea/vomiting, fatigue, social functioning, lack of appetite, role functioning and constipation. Qualitative data identified important additional issues not covered by the questionnaire such as satisfaction with care, emotions and psychological support, as well as linguistic issues in the dyspnea and constipation items. Conclusions The EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL showed good content validity in the assessment of symptoms and QOL of advanced cancer patients; therefore, we recommend the use of this questionnaire in palliative care in Chile. Dyspnea and constipation items were revised by the EORTC group. More research is needed to add a social dimension for a comprehensive assessment of patients’ QOL.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document