Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T11:37:39.911Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The need for palliative care education, support, and reflection among rural nurses and other staff: A quantitative study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2014

Gerd Eriksson ,
Tina Wahlström Bergstedt  and
Christina Melin-Johansson
Gerd Eriksson
Affiliation:
Mid Sweden University, Department of Nursing Sciences, Östersund, Sweden Health Care Administration, Östersund Municipality, Östersund, Sweden
Tina Wahlström Bergstedt
Affiliation:
Social Service Department, Åre Municipality, Järpen, Sweden
Christina Melin-Johansson*
Affiliation:
Mid Sweden University, Department of Nursing Sciences, Östersund, Sweden
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Christina Melin-Johansson, Mid Sweden University, Department of Nursing Sciences, 831 25 Östersund, Sweden. E-mail: titti.melin-johansson@miun.se.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective:

Many people now die in community care, and, considering the aging population, all healthcare staff members must be prepared to provide palliative care. Our objectives were to describe the total staff working in different care organizations in a rural community in Sweden and to explore palliative care competence, to describe educational gaps and the need for support and reflection, and to determine whether there are differences in care organizations, professions, age, and gender.

Method:

A 4-section 20-item questionnaire was distributed to 1686 staff (65% response rate): in nursing homes (n = 395), home care (n = 240), and group residential settings (n = 365). Registered nurses (n = 70), assistant nurses (n = 916), managers (n = 43), and paramedics (n = 33) participated. Descriptive and correlational statistics were employed.

Results:

Significant differences were found, and 40% (53% among men) lacked palliative care education, Fewer than 50% lacked education in the spiritual/existential areas, and 75% of those aged 20–66 (75% women, 55% men) needed further education. More women than men and staff aged 50–59 had an increased need to reflect.

Significance of Results:

Our study may provide guidance for managers in rural communities when planning educational interventions in palliative care for healthcare staff and may support direct education with content for specific professions.

Keywords

CaregiversCommunity health servicesEducationPalliative careQuestionnaire design
Type
Original Articles
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 13 , Issue 2 , April 2015 , pp. 265 - 274
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Beck-Friis, B. & Strang, P. (1993). The organization of hospital-based home care for terminally ill cancer patients: The Motala model. Palliative Medicine, 7, 93–100.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bégat, I. & Severinsson, E. (2006). Reflection on how clinical nursing supervision enhances nurses' experiences of well-being related to their psychological work environment. Journal of Nursing Management, 14, 610–616.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bégat, I., Ellefsen, B. & Severinsson, E. (2005). Nurses' satisfaction with their work environment and the outcomes of clinical nursing supervision on nurses' experiences of well-being: A Norwegian study. Journal of Nursing Management, 13, 221–230.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Berterö, C. (2002). District RN' perceptions of palliative care in the home. American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care, 19, 387–391.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blomberg, K. & Sahlberg-Blom, E. (2007). Closeness and distance: A way of handling difficult situations in daily care. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 16, 1–11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brazil, K., Bédard, M., Krueger, P., et al. (2006). Barriers to providing palliative care in long-term care facilities. Canadian Family Physician, 52, 472–473.Google ScholarPubMed
Dickinson, G.E. & Field, D. (2002). Teaching end-of-life issues: Current status in United Kingdom and United States medical schools. American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care, 19, 181–186.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dwyer, L.L., Hansebo, G. & Andershed, B., et al. (2011). Nursing home residents' views on dying and death: Nursing home employee's perspective. International Journal of Older People Nursing, 6, 251–260.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ersek, M., Kraybill, B.M. & Hansberry, J. (1999). Investigating the educational needs of licensed nursing staff and certified nursing assistants in nursing homes regarding end-of-life care. American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care, 16, 573–582.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ferrell, B.R. & Borneman, T. (2002). Community implementation of home care palliative care education. American Cancer Practice, 10, 20–26.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ferrell, B.R., Grant., M. & Viriani, R. (1999). Strengthening nursing education to improve end-of-life care. Nursing Outlook, 47, 252–256.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goddard, C., Stewart, F., Thompson, G., et al. (2011). Providing end-of-life care in care homes for older people: A qualitative study of the views of care home staff and community nurses. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 32, 76–95.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hasson, H. & Arnetz, J.E. (2008). Nursing staff competence, work strain, stress and satisfaction in elderly care: A comparison of home-based care and nursing homes. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 17, 468–481.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Holland, J.M. & Neimeyer, R.A. (2005). Reducing the risk of burnout in end-of-life care settings: The role of daily spiritual experiences and education. Palliative & Supportive Care, 3, 173–181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, A. (2003). Clinical supervision in promoting a balanced delivery of palliative nursing care. Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing, 5, 168–175.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kayser-Jones, J. (2002). The experience of dying: An ethnographic nursing home study. The Gerontologist, 42, 11–19.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kelly, D., Gould, D., White, I., et al. (2006). Modernizing cancer and palliative care education in the UK: Insights from one cancer network. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 10, 187–197.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laugsand, E.A., Sprangers, M.A.G., Bjordal, K., et al. (2010). Health care providers underestimate symptom intensities of cancer patients: A multicenter European study. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 8, 104.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lloyd-Williams, M. & Field, D. (2002). Are undergraduate nurses taught palliative care during their training? Nurse Education Today, 22, 589–592.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lo, R.S., Kwan, B.H., Lau, K.P., et al. (2010). The needs, current knowledge, and attitudes of care staff toward the implementation of palliative care in old age homes. American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care, 27, 266–271.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ministry of Health and Social Affairs (2011). Health and medical care in Sweden. Retrieved from http://www.government.se/sb/d/15660.Google Scholar
National Board of Health and Welfare (NBHW) (2001). Death affects us all: Worthy of terminal care. Stockholm: NBHW.Google Scholar
National Board of Health and Welfare (NBHW) (2005). Where do the elderly die: In hospitals, especially accommodations or at home? Stockholm: NBHW.Google Scholar
National Board of Health and Welfare (NBHW) (2009). Residential care for the elderly: Progress reports 2008. Stockholm: NBHW.Google Scholar
Rice, K.N., Coleman, E.A., Fish, R., et al. (2004). Factors influencing models of end-of-life care in nursing homes: Results of a survey of nursing home administrators. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 7(5), 668–675.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ryan, K., McEvoy, J., Guerin, S., et al. (2010). An exploration of the experience, confidence and attitudes of staff to the provision of palliative care to people with intellectual disabilities. Palliative Medicine, 24, 566–572.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Severinsson, E. & Kamaker, D. (1999). Clinical nursing supervision in the workplace: Effects on moral stress and job satisfaction. Journal of Nursing Management, 7(2), 81–90.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shipman, C., Burt, J., Ream, E., et al. (2008). Improving district nurses' confidence and knowledge in the principles and practice of palliative care. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 63, 494–505.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Slåtten, K., Fagerström, L. & Haltevik, O.E. (2010). Clinical competence in palliative nursing in Norway: The importance of good care routines. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 16, 81–86.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schlairet, M.C. (2009). End-of-life nursing care: Statewide survey of nurses' education needs and effects of education. Journal of Professional Nursing, 25, 170–177.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tuffrey-Wijne, I. (2003). The palliative care needs of people with intellectual disabilities: A literature review. Palliative Medicine, 17, 55–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Whittaker, E., George, K.W., Hasson, F., et al. (2006). The palliative care education needs of nursing home staff. Nurse Education Today, 26, 501–510.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Whittaker, E., Kernohan, W., Hasson, F., et al. (2007). Palliative care in nursing homes: Exploring care assistants' knowledge. International Journal of Older People Nursing, 2, 36–44.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
White, K.R., Coyne, P.J. & Patel, U.B. (2011). Are nurses adequately prepared for end-of-life care? Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 33, 147–151.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
World Health Organization (WHO) (2011). Definition of palliative care. http://www.who,int/cancer/palliative/definition/en/.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (WHO) (2012). Strategy and action plan for healthy ageing in Europe, 2012–2020. http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/175544/RC62wd10Rev1-Eng.pdf.Google Scholar
Wowchuk, S.M., McClement, S. & Bond, J.J. (2007). Challenge of providing palliative care in the nursing home part II: internal factors. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 13, 345–350.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed