The impact of unrelieved patient suffering on palliative care nurses.
OBJECTIVE
to describe the impact of unrelieved patient suffering on nurses working with palliative care patients.


METHODS
This was a qualitative descriptive design using semi-structured interviews.


METHODS
nine experienced palliative care nurses were interviewed.


RESULTS
nurses acknowledged that the term 'suffering' generally was not used in the workplace. The nurses identified that only a small group of patients died with suffering that could be classified as 'unrelieved' but that the impact of these patients' suffering on themselves was enormous. Nurses describe the impact in terms of perceptions of suffering (difficult situation), feelings (helplessness, distress, feelings of failure), bearing the burden (alcohol consumption, headaches) and effects on their relationship with family. The nurses identified several factors that increased the personal impact of unrelieved patient suffering. The most important strategy for ameliorating the impact of unrelieved patient suffering was informal support from work colleagues.


CONCLUSIONS
the nurses' stories indicate that the personal impact of unrelieved patient suffering could be reduced through acknowledgement of this suffering and better formal and informal support mechanisms.
White
Kate
K
School of Nursing and Public Health, Edith Cowan University, Pearson Street, Churchlands WA 6018 Australia. k.white@ecu.edu.au
Wilkes
Lesley
L
Cooper
Karen
K
Barbato
Michael
M
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D016272:Occupational Health; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017211:Treatment Failure; D035502:Trust