Palliative care nursing journey in home healthcare: A grounded theory study

This study was conducted to examine the approaches of nurses working in home health care to palliative care, to determine their expectations regarding palliative care nursing, and to describe their journey toward palliative care nursing.

The study was designed using the grounded theory method following the Strauss and Corbin version. The study was conducted with 12 nurses working in the Home Health Services Unit of a state hospital. The study was conducted between July 2023 and February 2024. Data analysis included open coding, axial coding, and selective coding.

The ages of the nurses participating in the study ranged from 23 to 27, and their palliative care experience ranged from 2 to 14 years. The study revealed that the journey of palliative care nursing goes through three stages: (1) Professional inadequacy and emotional turmoil; initial encounter with a palliative care patient, insufficient nursing knowledge, ineffective use of communication, developing emotional insight (2) Educational and skill development; skills developed through apprenticeship, attitude towards palliative care nursing, risk and crisis management (3) Transition to a Holistic Practice; integrating the environment into care planning, individual and cultural beliefs, identifying patient-specific issues, planning appropriate trainings, multidisciplinary approach. Challenges and facilitating factors affecting this process have been identified.

This study provides valuable insights into enhancing the quality of palliative care delivered by nurses in home care settings. It also highlights the critical importance of supporting nurses' professional development in the delivery of holistic palliative care.