title: Identifying the palliative care role of the nurse working in community hospitals: an exploratory study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to ascertain registered nurses' and GPs' perceptions of and influences on the nurse's role in providing palliative care in community hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  qualitative exploratory/descriptive study.
  
  
  METHODS
  two community hospital sites within Perth and Kinross, Scotland.
  
  
  METHODS
  taped semi-structured interviews with four registered nurses and two GPs. Participants' perceptions were sought on the roles of nursing and medical professionals and of factors facilitating and hindering the provision of palliative care within the community hospital setting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  six key themes were identified through thematic analysis of the information: communication, teamwork and relationships, holistic care, resources, culture, professional role.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the themes were inter-related and gave valuable insight into the multidimensional nature and significance of the nurse's role in palliative care in the community hospital setting.
authors.affiliation: Palliative Services, Perth and Kinross, Blair Hospital, Muirhall Road, Perth PH2 7BH, UK. faye.hamilton@tpct.scot.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Faye
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McDowell
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006694:Holistic Health; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006780:Hospitals, Rural; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D016294:Models, Nursing; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D010687:Philosophy, Nursing; D010819:Physician's Role; D019555:Physician-Nurse Relations; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000523:psychology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012606:Scotland; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires