General nurses' perceptions of palliative care

Although considerable progress has been made in treating cancer, it is suggested that, even at diagnosis, attempts at cure may sometimes be unrealistic. As a result, many patients may require palliative care on general hospital wards, and how general nurses understand or interpret the goals of palliative care may determine, at least in part, the care they provide. This qualitative, exploratory study attempted to develop an understanding of the perceptions of general nurses towards palliative care. Findings indicate that this sample of nurses focused primarily on the disease and that which the patient had 'lost', regarding him/her not as a living person but as a dying patient. The nurses' role is seen to be that of 'taking over' all activities for the patient, so as to reduce suffering. The importance of maintaining quality of life and the need to respect patients' wishes are recognised, although it appears that nurses often assume that they 'know' what is best. Although the nurses exhibited considerable commitment to providing the best possible care, their predominant perception of the patient as dying determined the interventions selected. This preoccupation with dying may prevent them from helping the patient to live a full life until the time of death.