Impact of an education program to facilitate nurses' discussions of existential issues in neurological care

Discussing existential issues is integral to caring for people with acute, progressive, or life-limiting neurological illness, but there is a lack of research examining how nurses approach existential issues with this patient group and their family members. The purpose was to examine the experiential impact of an educational program for nurses designed to facilitate discussions of existential issues with patients and family members in neurological wards.

Nurses in inpatient and outpatient care at a neurological clinic in Sweden were invited to participate in an education program about discussing existential issues with patients and their family members as related to neurological conditions. The evaluation of the program and of the nurses' view of discussing existential issues was conducted through focus groups before and after participation. The data were analyzed by qualitative content analysis.

The program gave nurses a deeper understanding of existential issues and how to manage these conversations with patients and their family members. Both internal and external barriers remained after education, with nurses experiencing insecurity and fear, and a sense of being inhibited by the environment. However, they were more aware of the barriers after the education, and it was easier to find strategies to manage the conversations. They demonstrated support for each other in the team both before and after participating in the program.

The educational program gave nurses strategies for discussing existential issues with patients and family members. The knowledge that internal and external barriers impede communication should compel organizations to work on making conditions more conducive, for example, by supporting nurses to learn strategies to more easily manage conversations about existential issues and by reviewing the physical environment and the context in which they are conducted.