Communication about existential issues with patients close to death--nurses' reflections on content, process and...

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Palliative Care
• Existential Communication

Background:

• Nurses face challenges discussing existential issues with terminally ill patients.
• A comfortable attitude is crucial for addressing patients' implicit existential questions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore nurses' reflections on existential issues in communication with patients nearing death.
• To identify factors influencing nurses' comfort and effectiveness in these conversations.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative content analysis of recorded group reflection sessions.
• 98 nurses from hospital, hospice, and homecare settings participated in five sessions each.

Main Results:

• Three domains emerged: content (living, dying, relationships), process (conversation techniques, presence, confirmation), and meaning for nurses.
• Nurses recognized the value of sensitivity and supportive communication.
• Group reflections highlighted awareness of the importance of presence and confirmation.

Conclusions:

• Experience and a supportive environment enhance nurses' comfort in counseling patients near death.
• Courage, presence, confirmation, time, and refraining from problem-solving are vital for effective existential conversations.
• Nurses' comfort is linked to their ability to be present and supportive without needing to resolve all existential concerns.