title: Exploring district nurses' reluctance  to refer palliative care patients  for physiotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore district nurses' beliefs regarding referral of a patient receiving palliative care for physiotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three focus groups, guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour, were undertaken with a purposive sample of 16 district nurses. All were audio-recorded, transcribed, and subject to content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine beliefs were identified as influencing referral decisions, the majority of which were negative, such as the belief that physiotherapists lack palliative care skills and could foster false hope. Additional barriers to referral included a lack of contact and communication with physiotherapists, poor knowledge or experience of physiotherapy, unsuitable referral systems, and poor availability of services.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings help to explain why so few patients receiving palliative care access rehabilitation services. To ensure that patients have appropriate access to palliative rehabilitation, there needs to be consideration of how the identified barriers can be overcome.
authors.affiliation: Ards Community Hospital, Newtownards, Northern Ireland.
authors.forename: Lesley Ann
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Felicity
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hasson
authors.forename: W George
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Kernohan
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003152:Community Health Nursing; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D009660:Northern Ireland; D010166:Palliative Care; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D057184:Practice Patterns, Nurses'; D012017:Referral and Consultation