Perspectives of nursing students on end-of-life nurse education: A qualitative study of the guided death experience.

BACKGROUND: Although various studies reported on educational methods for end-of-life care, there is lack of evidence on how nursing students experience simulated death. OBJECTIVES: This study explored the experiences of undergraduate nursing students who participated in a guided death experience. DESIGN: The research utilized a qualitative descriptive design. SETTINGS: The research was conducted at a Japanese university nursing school. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 82 nursing students were recruited to complete an end-of-life course in which they participated in a guided death experience as part of their third-year curriculum. METHODS: Descriptions of the guided death experience were analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS: Nursing students' experiences in the guided death experience fell into two main categories: "subjective experience of immersing oneself in the world of the patient who is dying" and "formation of nursing perspectives of end-of-life care." The former focused on subjective experiences of nursing students vividly expressing their own emotions such as grief, anger, fear, and depression during the guided death experience process. The latter expressed recognition of the essence of end-of-life-care through the guided death experience, such as thinking about needs of the person who is dying, being present, and listening to the individual. CONCLUSIONS: In end-of-life nurse education, the guided death experience allows students to face first-person death. This fosters a core view of nursing in palliative and end-of-life care. Overall, the guided death experience is an important means of preparatory education for relevant clinical practice.

Eating Behaviors of Postoperative Esophageal Cancer Patients During the First Year After Surgery.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to identify the eating behaviors of patients from 3 months onwards after esophageal surgery. The study was conducted on patients who had been on an oral diet for more than 3 months after the surgery. METHODS: Data were collected through interviews and analyzed by a qualitative inductive method based on the Grounded Theory Approach. RESULTS: The results of the analysis revealed that postoperative esophageal cancer patients go through the following three stages in respect of their eating behavior during the first year after surgery: i) Get used to swallowing, ii) Learning how to cope with the symptoms occurring during eating, by failing and succeeding repeatedly, and iii) building self-management skills in terms of eating behaviors. These were identified as the process through which the patients develop their eating behaviors during the first year after surgery. CONCLUSION: The patients first faced the reality of the underlying issue, namely, difficulty in eating after the surgery, with the feeling that they experienced during swallowing in the process of eating. However, they had no choice but to accept the reality and make efforts to devise practical eating behaviors through experience. Then, eventually, they learned that self-management is necessary not only for maintaining a stable eating behavior, but also for sustaining their lives. In the long-term post-operative patient's acquisition of new eating habits, medical staff look back and share their experiences so that they can recognize their altered body without being discouraged. However, it is necessary to continue to support them even after they discharge from the hospital by accepting difficulties in eating behavior.

The Acquisition of a New Self-image in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we aim to highlight the transformation of self-image in patients with type 1 diabetes after diagnosis. Our objective in examining the self-image of these patients is to provide practical insights for nursing, as well as a basic reference for understanding patients. METHODS: The participants were 15 patients (2 men and 13 women) over 20 years of age who visited an outpatient setting to treat type 1 diabetes and had no serious complications, and who agreed to participate in the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted 1-2 times, with a duration of 60-75 minutes per person, from February 2016 to March 2017. We drew on Krippendorff's (1999) content analysis to carry out our analysis. RESULTS: We identified a total of 107 codes. The self-image of patients with type 1 diabetes was categorized into 8 subcategories and 4 categories. The 4 categories were 'the wavering of a self-image that is distinct from the past,' 'loss of former self-image,' 'discovery of a new self-image,' and 'developing a new self-image.' Ultimately, we were able to extract a fifth core category, 'acquisition of a new self-image.' CONCLUSION: The self-image of patients with type 1 diabetes transformed from a negative to a positive one; ultimately, patients acquired a new self-image that was congruent with their ideal self-image. Our results showed that the new self-image that patients acquired through various experiences influenced motivation for treatment and continuation of self-care. When caring for patients with type 1 diabetes, it is crucial for healthcare professionals be aware of the meaning that patients derive from their disease and related difficulties, as well as to provide care while considering patients' self-image.

Self-stigma of Patients with Type 1 Diabetes and Their Coping Strategies.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the stigma and coping strategies of patients with type 1 diabetes. METHODS: Data were collected from 24 adult patients with type 1 diabetes via in-depth semi-structured interviews that took place in clinic waiting rooms. Qualitative and descriptive data analysis was conducted to identify stigma and coping strategies of patients with type 1 diabetes. RESULTS: Stigma of patients with type 1 diabetes consisted of four categories: (i) "hatred of insulin" due to a treatment-oriented lifestyle after the onset of the disease, (ii) "imperfect body" due to systemic changes caused by the disease, (iii) "social outcast" as a diabetes patient who used to be healthy, and (iv) "poor me," a negative self-image due to the responses and attitudes of others. Regarding the coping strategies for reducing stigma, the following four categories were derived from the analysis: (i) In a stable disease stage, patients coped with stigma by "hiding their disease" or (ii) "pretending to be healthy" by avoiding self-care behaviors in public. When they told others about their disease, they (iii) "gradually spoke out to those around them about their illnesses." (iv) When they could not do either (i) or (ii), they resorted to "limiting their social life" or limiting interactions with others. CONCLUSION: Patients with type 1 diabetes changed their coping strategies for reducing stigma as the disease progressed because stigma was tied to their disease. Physical, psychological, social, and spiritual coping strategies are required to reduce stigma, and the strategies are interrelated. It is important for nurses to assess patients from various viewpoints, including the viewpoint of stigma.

Structure of Resilience among Japanese Adult Patients with Type 1 Diabetes: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Resilience is the process of overcoming adversities and difficulties. We clarified the structure of resilience and its motivational power among adult Japanese patients with type 1 diabetes. This is likely to help ensure effective nursing support to empower patients with diabetes and help them recuperate and improve their personal lives. METHODS: Participants were 17 patients with type 1 diabetes, and data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Participants shared their experiences of coping with self-management and diabetes control issues, the meaning of living with diabetes, and their support from family and friends since their diagnosis. Glaser's grounded theory was used to analyze the data and the results were used to create a new model of resilience for type 1 diabetes. RESULTS: Five categories were extracted: "suffering from a guilty conscience," "suffering from an insulin-dependent body," "social disability," "a driving force to advancement," and "possessing a strategy to live with the disease." CONCLUSION: The five categories formed two stages: preparatory resilience and resilience formation. Once patients recognized the presence of empathetic others, they could obtain better disease comprehension and cooperation. Recognizing this support system served as a "driving force to advancement" and was termed the "resilience battery." Through the resilience battery, patients shifted from preparatory resilience to "resilience formation," or acquiring "a strategy to live with the disease." To forge patient resilience, nurses should encourage disease comprehension and cooperation among patients' significant others. We further propose that high-quality nursing care would involve supporting patients' inner resilience.

Qualitative Analysis of the Resilience of Adult Japanese Patients with Type 1 Diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Resilience strategies are what we use to avoid and recover from error. In this study, we used the grounded theory approach to evaluate the resilience of Japanese patients with Type 1 diabetes. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 adults with Type 1 diabetes. Then, using grounded theory, we created a new model of resilience in this population. RESULTS: The results suggested a core category, "to make progress along the resilience path," comprising seven concepts classified into three stages. These seven concepts were as follows: "suffering from treatment," "damaged trust as a person," "persistence of afflictions," "awareness of supporters," "joy to be kept alive by insulin," "actively seeking a future," "being able to manage by oneself." Individuals with Type 1 diabetes used difficult experiences to motivate their resilience and to improve their situation. Additionally, resilience was an important contributor to these individuals' beliefs in their ability to face difficulties, to accept their illness and insulin therapy, and to control their illness. Resilience was also important to these individuals' faith in the future and in medical care. Our results are applicable to clinical care and research, such as the development of preventive interventions aimed at building or strengthening protective skills related to diabetes and its management. CONCLUSION: Ultimately, our goal is to equip adults with Type 1 diabetes with the tools to obtain sufficient behavioral and health-related resilience. Furthermore, these results highlight that maintaining resilience-related coping skills is important for adults and indicate that different psychological processes underlie resilience across the lifespan.

A Qualitative Study of Confusing Experiences among Japanese Adult Patients with Type 1 Diabetes.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we investigated the powerlessness of patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D), and described the structure of powerlessness that these individuals experienced. In order for patients to recover from this state, we recommend that they take steps to regain their power. METHODS: Fifteen Japanese adults with T1D participated in this study. Data were collected from all subjects between July 2013 and March 2014 via in-depth semi-structured interviews. Qualitative data analysis was conducted according to a grounded theory approach. Finally, the core category was identified, which allowed us to build a new powerlessness structure for T1D. RESULTS: The results suggested a core category, 'Wandering a tangled path,' comprising four categories, eight subcategories, and twenty-six concepts. These four categories were as follows: 'being burdened by T1D,' 'suffering from insulin-related troubles,' 'being unable to cope with difficulties in self-management,' and 'facing social prejudice.' In the state of powerlessness, negative emotional experiences snowballed, with patients feeling more and more depressed until they ultimately reached 'rock bottom.' CONCLUSION: We found that as negative emotional experiences related to powerlessness increased, negative feelings intensified until the patients reached rock bottom. Powerlessness is like 'wandering a tangled path,' a state in which T1D patients struggle to cope with reality on their own when faced with both internal and external events. 'Wandering a tangled path' is at the core of powerlessness. A primary characteristic of the structure of powerlessness is suffering from confusing experiences. To help patients cope with T1D without being crushed by powerlessness, nurses must pay attention to signs of powerlessness. Powerlessness is not just an emotional state, but a combination of feelings, perceptions, and thoughts; therefore, it is important to comprehensively understand patients' narratives.

Opinions and Satisfaction Regarding Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion Therapy in Adult Patients with Type 1 Diabetes.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the treatment satisfaction of type 1 diabetic patients undergoing continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) therapy, and patients' thoughts regarding CSII. METHODS: We provided a self-administered questionnaire survey over the internet. Participants were 106 individuals with type-one diabetes aged 20 years or older, undergoing CSII. The survey examined patients' treatment satisfaction, and their thoughts regarding CSII. Descriptive statistics were calculated. We compared relationships between treatment satisfaction and other variables using the Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test, and performed content analysis on participants' thoughts regarding CSII. RESULTS: Regarding treatment satisfaction, the response, "neither of them" was the most frequent. Comparing relationships between treatment satisfaction and other variables, significant differences were found for the variables "age," "presence of dissatisfaction regarding doctors' response," and "presence of a significant medical expense burden." Participants' thoughts regarding CSII were classified into 10 categories. CONCLUSION: Participants expressed positive evaluations, such as that their blood sugar control had improved due to CSII, and that they perceived improvement in their health. Participants also expressed negative evaluations, however, such as that medical expenses resulting from CSII were high, and that these expenses may cause distress and future economic insecurity. In future, patients may benefit from nursing support that allows patients to confidently continue with CSII.

Type 1 Diabetes Patients Using Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion Therapy: Feeling Burdened Correlated with Factors.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate factors related to feelings of being burdened in type 1 diabetes patients using continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) therapy. METHODS: Participants were 106 subscribers to the Diabetes Network's e-mail newsletter. An online survey was used. Eligible participants were aged at least 20 years, had type 1 diabetes, and were using CSII. Survey questions concerned whether participants found CSII burdensome, and seven potential reasons for feelings of burden. Analysis calculated correlations among participants' demographic and treatment-related factors, and among participants' reasons for feeling CSII to be burdensome. RESULTS: Regarding demographic and treatment-related factors, gender was found to be weakly negatively correlated with the following variables: employment status, and whether participants had discussed their concerns with a doctor. Employment status was found to be weakly correlated with diabetes duration; employment status and diabetes duration were found to be weakly correlated with age. Regarding reasons for finding CSII therapy burdensome, "It takes too much time" was found to be strongly positively correlated with "It interferes with work responsibilities"; 16 weak positive correlations were also found. CONCLUSION: To explain our results, we suggest that medical expenses, glycemic control, scheduling outpatient visits around home and work responsibilities, and interacting with medical staff may have caused participants to find CSII therapy burdensome. Most participants had never discussed their treatment concerns with a doctor. This suggests that nurses may be able to mitigate feeling burdened in participants using CSII therapy.

The Skills of Facilitator Nurses in Psycho-Social Group Intervention for Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to provide cancer patients with a psychosocial group intervention consisting of 3 parts, i.e., education on how to cope with stress and solve problems, group discussions, and progressive muscle relaxation, and to investigate the intervention techniques of Japanese facilitators. METHODS: Group interventions for breast cancer patients performed by 3 facilitators were analyzed qualitatively and inductively using a phenomenological approach. RESULTS: The skills of facilitators included 10 intervention techniques and 1 problem in interventions. Intervention techniques, which promote group dynamics and thereby help participants acquire improvements in their coping abilities and quality of life (QOL), were somewhat different between new and experienced facilitators, with the content showing immaturity and maturity in the new and experienced facilitators, respectively. Both experienced and new facilitators faced the risk of experiencing problems in interventions, which countered the purpose of the intervention of improving the participants' coping abilities or QOL. CONCLUSION: While intervention skills are necessary for facilitators to execute group interventions, it must be borne in mind, that even well-experienced facilitators may not always be able to accomplish skillful intervention.

Partnership in Psycho-Social Group Intervention for Cancer Patients: Factors to Creating Group Dynamics.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to conduct a psycho-social group intervention consisting of 3 parts, educate patients on methods to cope with stress and solve problems, hold group discussions and practice progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) for cancer patients, and investigate the way that group dynamics work in psycho-social group interventions in Japan. METHODS: Three facilitators and 2 sub-facilitators who conducted the group intervention for breast cancer patients were qualitatively and inductively analyzed using a phenomenological approach. RESULTS: As a result, "hard effort," "harmony of the whole group" and "collaboration between therapists" were extracted as the partnership functions of participants that work on the creation of group dynamics in psycho-social group interventions. There was a structure in which "harmony of the whole group" and "collaboration between therapists" coexisted based on the basic attitude of "hard effort." CONCLUSION: It was considered that these 3 intervention forms are involved in group dynamics in which participants can easily hold discussions, and are techniques necessary for group intervention contributing to changes in the psychological distress and the coping of participants.

Psychological Factors and Characteristics of Recurrent Breast Cancer Patients with or without Psychosocial Group Therapy Intervention.

To clarify psychological factors of patients with recurrent breast cancer, we examined their interest in group intervention and studied the characteristics of participants and non-participants in an intervention program. Using several self-administered assessment scales to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of cancer patients and the symptoms specific to breast cancer patients, we compared sociomedical variables and QOL scores between participants and non-participants. Inter-group differences were significant in the scores for constipation, body image and future perspectives, suggesting the QOL to be higher among participants than non-participants. Interest in group intervention was identified as a major reason for participation in this type of program. Not only physical but also psychologicalfactors were shown to be the reasons for deciding not to participate in group intervention. It is now desirable that efforts be made to stimulate greater understanding of group intervention as a means of psychosocial support for patients with recurrent breast cancer and that social environments be arranged so that these patients are supported by an approach tailored to individual cases, involving both group and individual intervention.

A feasibility study of psychosocial group intervention for breast cancer patients with first recurrence.

GOALS OF WORK: The effects of psychosocial group interventions on improving quality of life (QOL) for patients with recurrent breast cancer are not well known. The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of a psychosocial group intervention in Japanese women with first recurrence of breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHOD: The subjects were consecutively selected from among patients who were diagnosed with a first recurrence of breast cancer. We conducted a 6-week psychosocial group intervention. QOL was assessed using the Profile of Mood States (POMS), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, the Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC) scale, and the European Organization for Research and the Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire-Cancer 30/Breast module 23 (QLQ-C30/Br23) at baseline then immediately and 3 and 6 months after completion of the intervention. RESULTS: Among 58 eligible patients, written consent was obtained from 28 (48%), and the final evaluation was conducted on 19 subjects. The repeated measured analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a significant change in tension-anxiety, depression-dejection, anger-hostility and total mood disturbance on the POMS, helplessness/hopelessness on the MAC scale, and body image and future perspective on the QLQ-C30/Br23. Dunnett's test revealed a significant difference in these scores between baseline and 3 months after the intervention but no difference between baseline and 6 months after the intervention. CONCLUSION: These results suggested the possibility of a short-term effectiveness of the intervention; however the results were inconclusive because of selected small samples.