Nurses' Caring Experiences for Dying Patients: A Meta-Synthesis Review

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Palliative Care
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Nurses are crucial in end-of-life care.
• Understanding nurses' experiences is vital for improving care quality.
• Existing literature needs synthesis on nurses' perspectives in palliative care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize qualitative studies on nurses' experiences caring for dying patients.
• To identify key themes and challenges faced by nurses in end-of-life care.
• To inform the development of better support and coping strategies for nurses.

Main Methods:

• A meta-synthesis of English qualitative articles.
• Searches conducted across Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and CINAHL.
• Analysis focused on nurses' caring experiences with dying patients.

Main Results:

• Four major themes emerged: dual patient and family care, conflicts between personal beliefs and professional duties, personal and professional reflections on care, and nurses' coping strategies.
• Nurses provide comprehensive care, experiencing both positive and negative impacts.
• Conflicts arise between ethical beliefs and treatment protocols, causing hesitation.

Conclusions:

• Nurses' end-of-life care is multifaceted, affecting their well-being.
• There is a need for improved strategies to address the complex physical, mental, spiritual, educational, and managerial challenges in palliative nursing.
• Further research should focus on developing comprehensive support systems for nurses in critical care settings.