Palliative home care in a rural setting: reflections on selective interactions

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• Rural Health
• Nursing

Background:

• Terminally ill patients require ongoing information and involvement in care, regardless of increasing dependency.
• Rural palliative care settings often face resource limitations.
• Domiciliary nurses are frequently the primary caregivers in rural environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To support the role of rural palliative care nurses in fostering patient involvement and self-determination.
• To highlight the significance of the nurse-patient relationship in rural end-of-life care.
• To emphasize the importance of trust and equity in under-resourced rural palliative care.

Main Methods:

• This paper is a supportive review advocating for a specific nursing role.
• It focuses on the relational aspects of care provision.
• Analysis centers on the unique context of rural palliative care.

Main Results:

• Nurses in rural palliative care are optimally positioned to build strong relationships with patients and informal carers.
• These relationships enhance patient involvement, self-determination, equity, and trust.
• The findings underscore the critical role of nurses in overcoming service provision challenges.

Conclusions:

• The nurse-patient relationship is central to effective rural palliative care.
• Empowering nurses in these roles can improve patient outcomes and care experiences.
• Addressing resource limitations requires recognizing and leveraging the strengths of domiciliary nurses.