title: End of Life in a Haitian American, Faith-Based Community: Caring for Family and Communal Unity.
abstract: This article presents two models resulting from a grounded theory study of the end-of-life decision-making process for Haitian Americans. Successful access to this vulnerable population was achieved through the faith-based community. The first model describes this faith-based community of Haitian Americans. The second model describes the process used by families in this community who must make end-of-life healthcare decisions. Implications for nursing practice and caring science include a need to improve the congruence between the nursing care provided at this vulnerable time and the cultural values of a population.
authors.affiliation: Susan Charlotte Ladd, PhD, RN, is an assistant professor at South University School of Nursing in West Palm Beach, Florida. Her research interests include the end-of-life decision-making process used by families in faith-based communities and healthcare literacy. She is a certified oncology nurse, a certified advanced holistic nurse, and has drawn her inspiration from her patients and their families. Shirley C. Gordon, PhD, RN, is a professor at the Florida Atlantic University Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Boca Raton, Florida. Her research areas of interest include caring for persons experiencing conditions involving stigma and the development of caring theories to guide nursing practice.
authors.forename: Susan Charlotte
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Ladd
authors.forename: Shirley C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Gordon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002835:Christianity; D003469:Culture; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D066296:Grounded Theory; D006205:Haiti / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013727:Terminal Care; D014481:United States; D035862:Vulnerable Populations