Addressing the challenges of conducting research with end-of-life populations in the acute care setting

End-of-life (EOL) conversations are difficult for patients, families, and nurses. The purpose of this article is to describe the challenges encountered and strategies implemented during a research study designed to elicit information about the congruence among patients' stated preferences at EOL with perceptions of their caregivers and nurses using the Preferences About Dying and Death (PADD) instrument in an acute care setting. With the proper study inclusion criteria, education and support from more confident, experienced colleagues, nurses can be coached to identify appropriate participants for EOL research. Researchers should plan regularly scheduled debriefing sessions with interviewers to provide emotional support and encouragement to minimize distress. A scripted approach to introduce EOL research topics can ease clinicians' discomfort while allowing patients the opportunity to have open, honest dialogues about their care preferences. By proactively implementing strategies, researchers can enhance the integration of EOL research into the acute care setting.