| Abstract [eng] |
The number of incurable diseases (cancer, cardiovascular diseases) is increasing worldwide. As the number of incurable diseases increases, the need for nurses to provide services to these patients will also increase. Nurses providing services to patients with incurable diseases experience various negative emotions, such as anxiety, sadness, and a sense of loss. Negative emotions experienced for a long time can contribute to the development of emotional fatigue or burnout. The aim of this study is to analyze the emotional impact of the death and dying on nurses providing services to patients with incurable diseases. Objectives: 1. To identify emotions related to the death of a patient and the dying process that nurses experience when providing services to patients with terminal illness; 2. To identify factors that influence the emergence of emotions related to the death and dying process when providing services to patients with terminal illness; 3. To identify emotional coping methods related to the death of patients and the dying process used by nurses providing services to patients with terminal illness. Methods. An inductive qualitative content analysis was performed. The study used criterion-based and snowball sampling. The sample consisted of 10 nurses. The study participants were nurses who provide services to patients with terminal illness, who have more than 12 months of experience in providing these services. The instrument (questionnaire) was prepared by the authors of the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. The data processing and analysis process is based on the main stages of inductive qualitative content analysis: open coding, data grouping, category extraction and abstraction. Before conducting the study, approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Department of Nursing, Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University. Results. Nurses can be emotionally affected by the death and dying process in both positive and negative ways. Professional and personal growth is observed. Emotional experiences can affect nurses negatively, both on a professional level, that is, by disrupting the nurses' work, and on a personal level, when it is not possible to step back from the emotions experienced during work. Various factors, such as the nature of the relationship with patients, the blurring of professional and personal boundaries, the characteristics of the patient or the death, and the (non)participation of relatives, have a significant impact on the manifestation of emotions or the strength of the emotions that are experienced. Nurses use various coping strategies: they receive support from both their colleagues and relatives, engage in hobbies to regulate emotions, engage in self-reflection, and note that time, gained work experience and establishing boundaries between personal life and work help to cope with emotions. For each nurse the need for support with coping is different: some claim that they are able to manage emotions themselves, while others note that they need both individual or group counseling and training. Conclusions. The emotional impact of death and dying on nurses is two-sided: nurses can be positively affected, experiencing personal and professional growth, but also negatively, when the emotions experienced can disrupt work and interfere with the personal life of the nurse. When organizing coping support for nurses providing services to dying patients, it is important to assess the factors that influence the impact of emotional reinforcement or the strength of the emotions expressed. The need for coping support is not the same for all nurses, but support should be easily accessible to all nurses providing services to dying patients. Maintaining a favorable social microclimate in the team is important to ensure the emotional well-being of nurses. |
