International Journal of Palliative Nursing最新文献

Each year, there are 11 900 new diagnoses of head and neck cancers in the UK, with around 4000 deaths. Survival rates are higher for those diagnosed earlier, however, patients are often diagnosed later, with 20% palliative at the time of diagnosis. There is a scarcity of head and neck cancer palliative care literature available. This review article aims to discuss the unique challenges of head and neck cancer palliation. It specifically focusses on the challenges of pain management, airway obstruction, dysphagia, haemorrhage and the psychology of palliative head and neck cancer management. This article explores the advantages and disadvantages of many of the different treatment options available. It is hoped that this article will highlight the unique difficulties encountered by patients with head and neck cancer towards the end of their life and offer insights and suggestions to improve patients' quality of life in their final weeks and months.

Background: Hypodermoclysis is a method of subcutaneous fluid administration. It has been used to treat palliative patients safely and effectively. However, the use of subcutaneous hydration is often overlooked.

Aim: This study aimed to compare the feasibility, pain experience and acceptability between subcutaneous and intravenous hydration in a hospital setting.

Methods: A prospective, randomised clinical trial was conducted. Patients requiring fluid administration were randomly allocated an intravenous or subcutaneous route. Patients' pain score, satisfaction and acceptance levels were collected. The difficulty score of the needle insertion and acceptance scores from nurses were recorded.

Findings: A total of 26 patients were enrolled. The difficulty scores and patients' pain scores were significantly lower in the subcutaneous group. The satisfaction and acceptance levels of the patients and nurses were similar in both groups. No systemic side-effects were found in either group.

Conclusion: Hypodermoclysis was acceptable and satisfying to patients and nurses. It was less painful than the intravenous route.

Synopses of a selection of recently published research articles of relevance to palliative care.

Background: The concept of end of life (EOL), as in the term end-of-life care, is used synonymously in both palliative and terminal care. Practitioners and researchers both require a clearer specification of the end-of-life concept to be able to provide appropriate care in this phase of life and to conduct robust research on a well-described theoretical basis.

Aims: The aim of this study was to critically analyse the end-of-life concept and its associated terminology.

Method: A concept analysis was performed by applying Rodgers' evolutionary concept analysis method.

Findings: Time remaining, clinical status/physical symptoms, psychosocial symptoms and dignity were identified as the main attributes of the concept. Transition into the end-of-life phase and its recognition were identified as antecedents. This study demonstrates that end-of-life care emerged following the application of the 'end-of-life concept' to clinical practice.

Conclusion: The early recognition of the end-of-life phase seems to be crucial to ensuring an individual has well-managed symptoms and a dignified death.

Aim: The aim of the study was to diagnose the socioeconomic burden and impact of a diagnosis of cervical cancer in rural women in the context of a low-resourced country, Uganda, through a descriptive qualitative enquiry.

Methods: This was a multi-site descriptive qualitative inquiry, conducted at three hospice settings; Mobile Hospice Mbarara in the Southwest, Little Hospice Hoima in Midwest, and Hospice Africa Uganda Kampala in Central Uganda. A purposive sample of women with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of cervical cancer were recruited. Data were collected using open-ended audio-recorded interviews conducted in the native languages of the participants. Interviews were transcribed verbatim in English. Braun and Clarke's (2019) framework of thematic analysis was used.

Results: A total of 13 women, with mean age 49.2 years (range 29-71), participated in the study. All participants were of low socioeconomic status. The majority (84.6%) had advanced disease at diagnosis. A detailed reading of transcripts produced three major themes: (1) the impact of cervical cancer on women's relationships (2) the disrupted and impaired activities of daily living (ADLs), and (3) economic disruptions.

Conclusions: A diagnosis of cervical cancer introduces significant socioeconomic disruptions in a woman's and her family's life. Cervical cancer causes disability, impairs the woman and her family's productivity and exacerbates levels of poverty in the home. High and expensive out-of-pocket expenditure on investigations, treatments and transport costs further compound the socioeconomic burden.

Background: Motor neurone disease causes respiratory weakness that can lead to death. While non-invasive ventilation relieves symptoms, there are complex issues to consider prior to commencement.

Aim: To identify what is known and understood about the clinician communication of non-invasive ventilation by people with motor neurone disease.

Method: The Joanna Briggs Institute approach to systematic reviews was followed for literature retrieval and selection.

Data sources: Research literature published between 1990-2019 in English from the Medline, CINAHL, ProQuest Research Library and the Cochrane Library of Systematic Reviews databases were used.

Results: A total of two themes emerged: communication challenges doctors face when discussing non-invasive ventilation withdrawal, and the importance of well-timed, effective communication by clinicians-specifically the influence clinicians have on family decision-making.

Conclusions: Guidance on communications around palliative care, non-invasive ventilation introduction and withdrawal exist, however implementation is often not straightforward. Research into the communication surrounding non-invasive ventilation from those living with motor neuron disease, their families and clinicians is required to inform guideline implementation and practice.

Background: Palliative and hospice care health professionals may be at risk of poorer psychological outcomes. It is unclear what specific stressors are experienced by staff and what impact they have on their psychological wellbeing. Aims: To identify stressors experienced when working in an adult hospice inpatient unit environment and how these are managed. Methods: Individual interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals working in a hospice adult inpatient unit. Findings: A total of 19 staff were interviewed. Six themes were constructed, with four related to stressors experienced: unrealistic workload, patient care, managing relationships, and work culture. Two themes concerned strategies for managing stressors were identified: peer support and time out. Conclusion: Changes within hospice care provision are placing demands on staff and reducing the amount of available resources. This may be alleviated by a move towards more compassionate workplaces. There is a need for further research to identify how distress can best be managed and how hospice organisations can best support healthcare staff.

Background: Palliative care should be seen as a human right and integrated into the healthcare system. Adequate palliative care education is seen as a facilitator to develop the integration of palliative care. Aims: To synthesise evidence of the effect of different teaching methods used in palliative care education to students' competences, knowledge, attitude or skills. Methods: Systematic review. A total of four databases (CINAHL, Eric, PubMed and Scopus) were searched, after which, 16 articles were identified. Findings: Simulations, lectures, films and a humanistic approach all had a positive effect on students' attitudes to care for a dying person. Problem-based learning, simulations and elective courses increased students' knowledge of palliative care. Game interventions in education decreased students' fear of death, while communication with dying patients and relatives became easier. Conclusions: Education interventions had positive effects on students' attitudes and knowledge. However, there is a need for future research into effective palliative care interventions using randomised designs and research about the effects of blended learning.

Aim: Spirituality is a crucial dimension in human health. However, it is often overlooked in patients with heart failure (HF) in Iran. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between spiritual wellbeing, life expectancy and quality-of-life (QOL) in patients with HF. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed with 150 HF patients, who were enrolled through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire comprising four parts: the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire, Schneider's life expectancy instrument, Ellison's and Paulotzin's (1982) Spiritual Well-Being Scale, and a demographic checklist. SPSS software was used for data analysis. Results: In this study, mean and standard deviation of QOL, life expectancy and spiritual wellbeing were 41.82±19.17, 30.20±4.58 and 87.80±5.28 respectively. There was a significant relationship between spiritual wellbeing and quality of life (r=-0.633, P<0.001) and also life expectancy (r=0.544, P<0.001). Quality of life and life expectancy were significantly higher in men than in women. Linear regression tests showed that the existential and religious dimensions of spirituality could influence 44.9% of the QOL variance (F=54.54, P<0.001) and increased values of existential spirituality would improve QOL by an average of 3.45 units. Improving life expectancy also raised QOL by 14.0% (F=21.26, P<0.001). This study also demonstrated that life expectancy is impacted by spiritual health, with a variance of 34.2%, in which the role of existential-spiritual health is of particular significance (t=7.10, P<0.001). Conclusion: The results revealed that spiritual wellbeing, especially the existential type, enhances life expectancy and quality-of-life among HF patients. Therefore, it is recommended that healthcare professionals design a comprehensive and supportive care model for the promotion of spiritual wellbeing in HF patients.