Development of nurses' abilities to reflect on how to create good caring relationships with patients in palliative care: an action research approach

Development of nurses' abilities to reflect on how to create good caring relationships with patients in palliative care: an action research approach In this paper we present an action research process aimed at enhancing nurses' abilities to reflect on how to create good caring relationships with patients in advanced home care. Another aim was to examine the usefulness of an emerging theory, derived from results from a previous study. The request for this project to take place came from an advanced home care unit which had received complaints concerning patients in the palliative phase. The action performed was clinical supervision, structured around abilities that nurses need in order to create good caring relationships. During the action research process 42 narratives were analysed by the participating group. Three different data collections were carried out and analysed with qualitative content analysis in a triangulation procedure. The emerging theory was found to be useful and was also refined. The nurses reported that they felt strengthened and had developed their ability to reflect over good caring relationships. Some changes to practice were carried out by the participating nurses. The result also indicates that action research can be helpful in examining the usefulness of an emerging theory.