Providing in-home palliative care within a generalist caseload: a chance for nurses to reflect on life and death

At a time when the need for in-home palliative care is on the rise, the aim of this interpretive phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of homecare nurses providing palliative care within a generalist caseload. Eight such nurses from one district of Quebec were interviewed. Data analysis was carried out according to the phenomenological method developed by Giorgi. Three themes emerged from the analysis: supporting the patient and his/her family, being concerned about providing quality care, and being confronted with death fosters personal development. The findings that gave rise to the first two themes echo similar findings from the literature, but those from which the third theme emerged are more novel. Important considerations for personal and professional development are extrapolated from these findings.