ABSTRACT
Theory provides nurses with a perspective with which to view client situations, a way to organize the hundreds of data bits encountered in the day-to-day care of clients, and a way to analyse and interpret the information. A theoretical perspective allows the nurse to plan and implement care purposefully and proactively. When nurses practice purposefully and systematically, they are more efficient, have better control over the outcomes of their care, and are better able to communicate with others. Health care agencies can designate a specific nursing theory to guide the nursing practice within the entire organization. The critical component in choosing a nursing theory for an organization is the 'fit' between the philosophical assumptions of the organization and the theory. Modelling and role-modelling, a theory and paradigm for nursing, can be implemented in any setting. Hospice is a concept of care, not a place. Hospice care illustrates the excellent 'fit' between an existing philosophy of care and theory-based nursing practice. The 'fit' is based on the similarity of the philosophical assumptions of hospice and the nursing theory of modelling and role-modelling.
Subject(s)
Nursing Care , Nursing Theory , Aged , Colonic Neoplasms/nursing , Colonic Neoplasms/psychology , Goals , Home Care Services , Hospice Care/psychology , Humans , Male , Models, Nursing , Self Care/psychologyABSTRACT
In hospice nursing, dying persons and their families are the unit of care and the focus of nursing interventions which are provided within the context of interdisciplinary care. The key component of hospice nursing is the interaction between the nurse, the terminally ill person, and the family. This naturalistic study was designed to describe the family caregiver's relationships between the hospice patient, the nurse, and themselves. The intent was to determine if family caregivers would develop empathic relationships with the hospice nurses. Nine bereaved family caregivers participated in the study. All were bereaved at least six months prior to being interviewed. The major finding of the study was that family caregivers perceived the hospice nurses as part of the family. The hospice nurses were characterized as respectful, kind, caring, clinical experts whose presence and interventions helped meet the needs of the family experiencing death.
Subject(s)
Caregivers/psychology , Community Health Nursing , Hospice Care , Terminal Care , Attitude , Family/psychology , Female , Holistic Nursing , Humans , Interpersonal Relations , Male , Nursing Evaluation ResearchABSTRACT
This naturalistic study explored the development of empathic nurse-patient relationships between 10 terminally ill adult hospice patients and their hospice nurses. The data were collected and analyzed from the hospice patient's perspective. Content analysis and the constant comparative method were used to analyze the transcripts of the audio taped interviews. The findings suggest that the development of empathic relationships between hospice nurses and patients was a process that occurred most often over time and involved a reciprocal sharing. Specific patient needs, nurses' functions, attributes, and the patient's reciprocity contributed to the development of the empathic relationship.
Subject(s)
Empathy , Hospice Care/psychology , Nurse-Patient Relations , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Nursing Methodology Research , Self Disclosure , Time FactorsABSTRACT
This naturalistic field study was designed to explore the patient's perspective of the nature, meaning, and impact of empathic relationships with hospice nurses. The findings are part of a larger study, focused on the meaning and impact of empathic relationships that develop between hospice nurses and their patients. Data were generated through in-depth interviews with 14 terminally ill adults receiving home-based hospice care. According to the hospice patient, an empathic relationship developed through a process of reciprocal sharing and revealing of personhood within a context of caring and acceptance. The experience of an empathic relationship meant being acknowledged as an individual, a person of value. The outcome of the empathic relationships between hospice nurses and their patients was the improvement and maintenance of patients' physical and emotional well-being. Understanding the patient's perspective is critical for effective nursing interventions and meaningful outcomes. Future research needs to explore empathic relationships between the nurse and family caregivers in various settings.
Subject(s)
Empathy , Hospice Care , Nurse-Patient Relations , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Emotions , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Quality of Life , Social SupportABSTRACT
Hospice research is needed in order to understand the complex phenomena of holistic care for terminally ill persons and their families. Hospice program participation is key to future hospice research efforts. The purpose of this article is to encourage hospice programs to participate in hospice research. The discussion includes why research is done, who undertakes a research project, the role of institutional review boards in assuring rights of human subjects and potential strategies for recruitment of research subjects. The authors use their experiences with conducting hospice research to illustrate potential recruitment strategies.
Subject(s)
Hospices , Research Support as Topic/organization & administration , Holistic Health , Hospices/organization & administration , Humans , Informed Consent , Organizational Objectives , Organizational Policy , Research Support as Topic/standardsABSTRACT
Using a slide culture technique, it was determined unequivocally that the chlamydospore of Candida albicans does germinate. The germination was by way of a multiple-budding process which was associated mostly with young spores following their transfer to a fresh environment. It is concluded the chlamydospore of C. albicans is a reproductive cell with a transient viability.
