Nurses and palliation in the community: the current discourse

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Palliative Care
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Palliative care is a key aspect of Australian community nursing.
• This specialized nursing area remains under-researched.
• Understanding the challenges and rewards is crucial for workforce support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review contemporary literature on community nursing and palliative care.
• To identify stressors and satisfiers for community palliative care nurses.
• To highlight the need for further research in this field.

Main Methods:

• Electronic literature searches of OVID, CINAHL, and nursing databases.
• Manual searches of relevant academic journals.
• Synthesis of findings from reviewed literature.

Main Results:

• Community and palliative care nursing are complex and demanding roles.
• Nurses' ideals are challenged by competing demands, system changes, and resource limitations.
• Job stressors include system changes and perceived 'visibility/invisibility'; job satisfaction is linked to therapeutic self-use and communication.

Conclusions:

• Community palliative care nursing is under-researched despite its importance.
• Significant stressors impact nurses' ability to provide ideal care.
• Further research on emotional well-being and professional satisfaction is essential for community palliative care nurses.