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Enhancing palliative care through Watson's carative factors
Patricia McKay1, Dale Rajacich, Janet Rosenbaum
1School of Nursing, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario.
Summary
Community palliative care addresses the physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs of terminally ill patients at home. This approach also supports families by addressing their caregiving and informational needs, guided by Watson
Area of Science:
- Palliative Care
- Nursing Theory
- Community Health
Background:
- Growing trend of patients choosing to die at home.
- Community palliative care emerges as a key alternative to hospitalization.
- Understanding patient and family needs is crucial for effective end-of-life care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the priority needs of terminally ill patients receiving community palliative care.
- To determine the needs of families supporting terminally ill patients at home.
- To explore suitable nursing models for delivering community palliative care.
Main Methods:
- Literature review examining studies on community palliative care.
- Analysis of patient and family needs in home-based end-of-life care settings.
- Evaluation of nursing theories for application in palliative care.
Main Results:
- Terminally ill patients exhibit distinct physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs.
- Families require support with physical care, information provision, and psychosocial well-being.
- Watson's theory of human caring, specifically carative factors, provides a relevant framework.
Conclusions:
- Community palliative care must address multifaceted patient needs (physical, psychosocial, spiritual).
- Family support is integral, encompassing caregiving, information, and emotional needs.
- Watson's human caring theory offers a robust model for guiding palliative care nurses.