Facing Grief: The Emotional Experience of Nurses in Caring for Terminal Patients in the Palliative Care Unit
Main Article Content
Abstract
Palliative care is a vital component of healthcare that aims to enhance the quality of life for patients with terminal illnesses by providing physical, emotional, and psychological support. Despite its significance, nurses in palliative care frequently experience emotional distress due to their prolonged exposure to suffering and loss. While previous studies have examined stress and burnout among palliative care nurses, little is known about their lived emotional experiences and coping strategies. This study employs a phenomenological approach to explore the emotional experiences of palliative care nurses and their adaptive mechanisms. Through in-depth interviews with nurses in palliative care units, the findings reveal that emotional attachment to patients, moral distress, and inadequate institutional support are key challenges they face. However, peer support, faith-based coping strategies, and professional commitment enable them to navigate these emotional burdens. The results underscore the need for structured psychological support and institutional interventions to sustain the emotional well-being of nurses in palliative care. Future research should explore longitudinal approaches to assess the long-term impact of resilience strategies and institutional policies on palliative care professionals.
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
C. Monte-Rubio, G., Segura, B., P. Strafella, A., van Eimeren, T., Ibarretxe-Bilbao, N., Diez-Cirarda, M., Eggers, C., Lucas-Jiménez, O., Ojeda, N., Peña, J., Ruppert, M. C., Sala-Llonch, R., Theis, H., Uribe, C., & Junque, C. (2022). Parameters from site classification to harmonize MRI clinical studies: Application to a multi-site Parkinson’s disease dataset. Human Brain Mapping, 43(10), 3130–3142. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.25838
Ciaccio, C., Pantaleoni, C., Taroni, F., Bella, D. D., Magri, S., Lamantea, E., Ghezzi, D., Valente, E. M., Nigro, V., & D’arrigo, S. (2021). A clinical‐based diagnostic approach to cerebellar atrophy in children. Applied Sciences (Switzerland), 11(5), 1–12. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11052333
Concannon, J., Máirtín, E. Ó., FitzGibbon, B., Hynes, N., Sultan, S., & McGarry, J. P. (2024). On the Importance of Including Cohesive Zone Models in Modelling Mixed-Mode Aneurysm Rupture. Cardiovascular Engineering and Technology, 15(5), 633–646. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13239-024-00740-3
de Moura, J., Samagaio, G., Novo, J., Almuina, P., Fernández, M. I., & Ortega, M. (2020). Joint Diabetic Macular Edema Segmentation and Characterization in OCT Images. Journal of Digital Imaging, 33(5), 1335–1351. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10278-020-00360-y
Haeyen, S., & Dimaggio, G. (2024). Arts and psychomotor therapies in personality disorder treatment: An appropriate therapeutic entrance to personal development: A commentary. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 80(11), 2303–2314. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23730
Li, H.-J., Liu, L.-Z., Huang, Y., Jin, Y.-B., Chen, X.-P., Luo, W., Su, J.-C., Chen, K., Zhang, J., & Zhang, G.-Y. (2022). Establishment and Validation of a Novel MRI Radiomics Feature-Based Prognostic Model to Predict Distant Metastasis in Endemic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. Frontiers in Oncology, 12. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2022.794975
Liang, L., Zhi, X., Sun, Y., Li, H., Wang, J., Xu, J., & Guo, J. (2021). A Nomogram Based on a Multiparametric Ultrasound Radiomics Model for Discrimination Between Malignant and Benign Prostate Lesions. Frontiers in Oncology, 11. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2021.610785
Mejia, A., Nyhus, K., Burley, T., Myhre, A., Montes, M., Osiecki, K., & Randolph, A. C. (2024). “Ripping Off the Band-Aid”: Uncovering future health care Professionals’ “Fractured Knowledge” about sexual and reproductive health. Frontiers in Reproductive Health, 6. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.3389/frph.2024.1242885
Reilly, M., Dandapani, S. V., Kumar, K. A., Constine, L., Fogh, S. E., Roberts, K. B., Small, W., & Schechter, N. R. (2023). ACR–ARS Practice Parameter for the Performance of Total Body Irradiation. American Journal of Clinical Oncology: Cancer Clinical Trials, 46(5), 185–192. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1097/COC.0000000000000997
Stanciu, C. N., Healey, C. J., Emeny, R. T., Aschbrenner, K., Fetter, J. C., & Friedman, M. J. (2023). The New Hampshire Hospital Screening and Referral Algorithm (NHHSRA) for Substance Use in People With Serious Mental Illness. Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders, 25(3). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.4088/PCC.22m03410
Taylor, J. L., Holland, D. J., Spathis, J. G., Beetham, K. S., Wisløff, U., Keating, S. E., & Coombes, J. S. (2019). Guidelines for the delivery and monitoring of high intensity interval training in clinical populations. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, 62(2), 140–146. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2019.01.004
Tradigo, G., Vizza, P., Gabriele, G., Mazzitelli, M., Torti, C., Prosperi, M., Guzzi, P. H., & Veltri, P. (2020). On the use of clinical based infection data for pandemic case studies (Park T., Cho Y.-R., Hu X.T., Yoo I., Woo H.G., Wang J., Facelli J., Nam S., & Kang M., Ed.; hlm. 2313–2317). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1109/BIBM49941.2020.9313469
Yuan, Y., Huang, L., Yu, L., Yan, X., Chen, S., Bi, C., He, J., Zhao, Y., Yang, L., Ning, L., Jin, H., Yang, R., & Li, Y. (2024). Clinical metabolomics characteristics of diabetic kidney disease: A meta-analysis of 1875 cases with diabetic kidney disease and 4503 controls. Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews, 40(3). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1002/dmrr.3789
Zheng, J., Xia, Y., Xu, A., Weng, X., Wang, X., Jiang, H., Li, Q., & Li, F. (2022). Combined model based on enhanced CT texture features in liver metastasis prediction of high-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Abdominal Radiology, 47(1), 85–93. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-021-03321-3