Attitudes of ward nurses towards the administration of 'as required' injectable medications for symptom control at the end of life.

Abstract

Background: It is recognised good practice to prescribe 'as required' parenteral medication (ARPM) to provide individualised symptom control in the final days of life. The decision to administer the medication and, sometimes, to decide the dose, usually lies with the nurse. Aims: To explore attitudes towards administration of ARPM at end of life (EOL) among hospital nurses. Methods: The views of registered nurses, recruited from wards with high death rates, were explored through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Questionnaire responses were coded and statistically analysed. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, manually coded and thematically analysed. Results: Almost 50% of questionnaire respondents (n=62) reported feeling 'very confident' in recognising symptoms at the EOL. Only 39% of respondents reported undertaking specific training. Three main themes emerged through the interviews: experience; factors influencing the decision to administer ARPM; and education. Conclusion: Wider accessibility to training may support confident decision making by hospital nurses administering ARPM at the EOL.