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Caring for Patients With Injection Drug Use-Associated Infective Endocarditis at the End of Life: A Modified
1Kendrea Todt, PhD, RN, CNE, CNEcl, is assistant professor and honors coordinator, College of Nursing, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City.
Summary
Caring for patients with injection drug use-associated infective endocarditis is emotionally taxing for nurses. This study reveals nurses experience heartbreak and exhaustion but also professional transformation, highlighting the need for better end-of-life care education and support.
Area of Science:
- Medical Research
- Nursing
- Qualitative Study
Background:
- Injection drug use-associated infective endocarditis (IDU-IE) admissions are rising, posing significant challenges.
- Nurses face emotional and physical demands caring for IDU-IE patients, often with poor prognoses.
- A lack of specific end-of-life care information for IDU-IE patients impacts nursing practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the lived experiences of nurses caring for patients with injection drug use-associated infective endocarditis.
- To understand the emotional and professional impact of end-of-life care for this patient population.
- To identify needs for improved nursing support and education in IDU-IE care.
Main Methods:
- Interpretive and participatory research design.
- Modified photo-elicitation phenomenological approach.
- Involved 29 nurses using photography and written reflections, with 5 participating in interviews.
Main Results:
- Three emergent themes: "heartbreaking" to witness, "exhausting" to endure, and "practice-altering."
- Nurses reported intense emotional pain and exhaustion.
- Experiences led to both negative and positive transformations in nursing practice.
Conclusions:
- Nurses require specialized end-of-life education for IDU-IE patients.
- Formal debriefing processes are crucial to mitigate nurse turnover.
- Further research into self-care strategies, like nature-based therapies, is recommended for processing trauma.
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