How do work in oncology unit nurses experience hospice care provision in China? A descriptive phenomenological study.

Objectives: To explore the experiences and perceptions of oncology nurses providing hospice care in Chinese mainland.

Methods: A descriptive phenomenological research method was utilized to describe experience of hospice care among oncology nurses. Eighteen oncology nurses were selected for interviews using purposive sampling from four grade A tertiary hospitals in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. The face-to-face semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. Data were recorded using NVivo 12.0 and analyzed using the Colaizzi's 7-step phenomenological data analysis method.

Results: The interview data generated five major themes: (1) end-of-life care for oncology patients, (2) support and care for family members, (3) self-limitation and psychological distress, (4) culture and external environment constraints, and (5) self-coping and gains.

Conclusions: In Chinese mainland, oncology nurses encountered barriers and negative emotions in conducting hospice care, but have also made strides in the promotion of hospice care. In the future, the use of different traditional Chinese medicine technology to facilitate symptom management in end-of-life patients should be explored, and more tools to assist in providing psychological care and communication should be developed.