Keywords
Comfort, End of Life, Nursing Home Patients, Nursing Home, Health Care Providers
Abstract
Research shows that healthcare providers (HCPs) are not adequately prepared to provide comfort care for patients who are at the end of life. Since the 1990s, numerous legislative, research, and clinical initiatives have addressed concerns about improving care at the end of life. The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of HCPs providing comfort for patients in the nursing home who are at the end of life. This study focused on physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses and nurses' aides at a central Florida nursing home. A descriptive qualitative design was done utilizing a focus group discussion, individual interviews, and a self-administered questionnaire. The findings indicated that a lack of facility support, inadequate staffing, inadequate end of life care education, family and patient denial of prognosis, as well as decreased primary care physician involvement affect the delivery of comfort care for patients at the end of life in the nursing home. This study supports the need for end of life education to HCPs and the need for adjustments in staffing to meet the complex needs of patients in the nursing home who are at the end of life. A new finding of this study reflects the use of an angel cart to aid in the provision of comfort care for patients at the end of life. Recommendations for future research were made based on study results
Notes
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Graduation Date
2010
Advisor
Rash, Elizabeth
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.)
College
College of Nursing
Department
Nursing
Degree Program
Nursing Practice
Format
application/pdf
Identifier
CFE0003305
URL
http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0003305
Language
English
Release Date
August 2010
Length of Campus-only Access
None
Access Status
Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)
STARS Citation
Baker, Herma, "The Experiences Of Health Care Providers Providing Comfort For Nursing Home Patients At The End Of Life" (2010). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 4302.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/4302