Hospice Care: Nurses’ Experience and Perception of Older Adult Patients’ Experience

ABSTRACT

Objectives: The current study sought to understand the differences hospice nurses perceived in caring for older adult patients who utilize hospice for longer and shorter periods, older adult patients’ experience of hospice services, and if length of hospice stays influenced the patients’ end-of-life experience.

Methods: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to extract themes and subthemes from 10 interviews conducted with hospice nursing staff.

Results: Four major themes were identified pertaining to nurses perspective on older adults’ views of hospice and how length of hospice use impacts end-of-life care.

Conclusion: These themes suggest hospice nursing staff believe longer hospice stays are more positive and that older adults identify more positive aspects of hospice when using it for longer periods of time. Results suggest that nurses believe length of use directly impacts patient care and the experience of hospice services.

Clinical Implications: Participating nurses reported that older adults have a lack of information on hospice services. It was suggested that more information is needed and that providing such education may lead to longer hospice stays.

KEYWORDS:

• End-of-life
• hospice
• nursing