Early support visits by district nurses to cancer patients at home: a multi-perspective qualitative study

Many palliative cancer patients spend much of their last year at home. In the UK, district nurses make frequent support visits to patients and carers at this time, yet surprisingly little is known about their supportive role in palliative care. Current studies are limited to district nurses' reports of practice, which offer limited insight into their content. Patients' and carers' views on district nurse support visits are largely unknown.

To present findings of a multi-perspective study that explored how district nurse early support visits are both described and carried out.

Focus groups with district nurses to explore views on the purpose of early support visits. Observation of support visits to identify how they are conducted. Patient and carer interviews to elucidate and verify district nurse data.

Participants included 58 district nurses, 10 palliative care patients and nine carers from four Primary Care Trusts in contrasting urban and rural locations.

District nurses had difficulty articulating early support visits. Observations however revealed a complex role comprising extensive physical and practical assessments, practical interventions, information giving, liaison, facilitation and referral. Patients and carers confirmed that they felt valued, reassured and supported by district nurses.

A multi-perspective approach provided new insights into district nurse support visits. Monitoring work described appears to have additional psycho-social benefits for patients and carers. The supportive role of district nurses needs to be clearly articulated and recognised so that colleagues, patients and carers access this valuable resource for palliative care patients.