Research on Nurses' Experiences in End-of-Life Care: A Report

This report explores the crucial role of nurses in end-of-life care, highlighting the emotional and practical challenges they face. The assignment focuses on a research question that investigates nurses' experiences, contents, and coping strategies when caring for patients and their families at the end of life. The report analyzes two primary research articles, focusing on the emotional intelligence of nurses in emergency work and the beliefs and practices of ICU nurses in end-of-life care. The findings emphasize the need for emotional support, effective coping mechanisms, and supportive work environments to enhance nurses' ability to provide quality care and manage the emotional toll of their profession. The research underscores the importance of understanding nurses' perspectives to improve healthcare services and support the well-being of both nurses and patients.

INTRODUCTION
Nurses are crucial for a health care home. They are having this importance mainly
because of their care they provide to patients. Although, to care for patients at the time when
they are dying is the most stressful yet potentially appreciated experiences for nurses.
Encountering with the death of a patients is the main practice of nursing. The death of the
patients can took place in any sector for example- neonatal units, ICU , emergency department,
etc. Thus, nurses are required to provide their care and service to the various people of different
age. It is also needed from them to provide effective support to the families of patients by
creating a curative relationship with them. Their are numerous research on the experience of
different people who are facing this approach to end-of-life an their families. But. this
assignment covers the aspects of nurses who are providing care to such persons. The role of
nurses is crucial in this field as they manage their losses and grief experience. These nurses also
helps in upholding elasticity of those patients. The midwives receives a great support of
organisation to deal with the patients, but in case of ICU nurses the scenario is something else,
they did not receive that much support. If the grief can not managed effectively then it can harm
a lot by affecting the overall performance, optimal patient care and retention. Also, the poor
management leads to the stress and burnouts.
Research Question:
The question of this research is-"While performing end-to-life care, What are the
experiences, contents and coping strategies of nurses towards the patients and their families?
This question accounts to a prior importance as it states the management of nurses in
dealing these situations of end-of-life. It is crucial to look into the insights of their care services
that they provide to a patient. Further, it also helps in acquiring information about their emotions
and behaviour while treating patients. The findings observed in order to attain solutions of this
question will help the nurses and other managers associated with the healthcare homes to
strengthen supportive ICU work surroundings in which nurse provides care. Moreover, these
findings will help in enhancing the services of health professionals to cope up with the grief and
emotions. Thus, this question is highly relevant to the practices of nursing and keeps wider
implications for numerous elements such as health professionals, nurses, patients, etc.
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Analysis of four primary research articles.
Article 1
Bailey, C., Murphy, R. & Porock, D., 2011, 'Professional tears: developing emotional
intelligence around death and dying in emergency work' Journal of clinical nursing, 20(23‐24),
pp.3364-3372.
The objective of this research is to determine the management of emotional consequences
of death and dying by the nurses. This article is based on some observations and interviews, thus,
it is a qualitative study. This article is important in studying the expertise that is needed in the
healthcare sector. The main elements that were observed in completing this research re the staff
of healthcare, professionals, nurses, patients, families of patients and the organisation. With the
help of interrogation several questionnaires, the outcomes of this study are observed. Both of
these methods are effective in gaining the different perspectives of the different people which
helps in evaluating this situation from various dimensions. Further, the interviews are performed
by the healthcare staff as they have experienced a large number of cases in which the patient is
facing end-of-life. From the research it was obtained that some nurses were doing their job best
because of the therapeutic relationship they have made with the patients. These kind of nurses
have good management as they are emotionally effected by the end of life. Further, the
relationships and the impact leads them in developing emotional expertise. Such type of nurses
are potentially appreciated fir their efforts. There are mainly three sectors from which expertise
in the nursing practices can be achieved and they are self-investment in the relationship with the
patients, emotional impact management and emotional expertise development. Thus, the main
aim of this research is to throw lights on the emotional aspects of the nursing practices.
Article 2
Ranse, K., Yates, P & Coyer, F., 2012, 'End-of-life care in the intensive care setting: a
descriptive exploratory qualitative study of nurses’ beliefs and practices. Australian Critical
Care, 25(1), pp.4-12.
Like previous article, this one is also based on the interrogations and the observations and
on the healthcare sector. In completing these interviews, the analysis is done with an element that
is inductive coding. The objective of this research is to analyse the perspectives of different
people regarding the issues with end of life and ICU nurse practices. Further, in this 5 nurses are
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involved and thus, the method that was applied in achieving this analysis is synchronic
qualitative technique.
Depending upon the evaluation of different beliefs and experiences of people who are
associated with this dilemma of end of life there are three basic concepts. Two of them are
linked with the care practices and the experiences in the cases of end of life. In contrary ton
them, the third concept is about the nurses who are involved in such care practices of dying.
Irrespective of the cognitive states linked with the care in the death situations , the intensive care
present nurses an opportunity in having positive experiences of caring at the last stage of
patients.
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