PROVIDING END OF LIFE COMFORT CARE IN THE NURSING HOME: EXPERIENCES OF HEALTH PROVIDERS

Abstract

Research shows that nurses and nursing assistants are not sufficiently ready to give adequate comfort care to patients who are at the end of life. The need to further improve quality of care delivery to patients with limited prognosis has been a focal point of various initiatives on different levels such as legislative, clinical and research.The goal of this study was to depict the encounters of health care workers giving solace to patients in the nursing home who are toward the finish of life. This study zeroed in on nurses and nurses’ aides in cooperation with one local nursing home in Massachusetts. To achieve this purpose a descriptive qualitative design was utilized. This paper approached the identified phenomenon by interpreting narratives and answers of the participants. A focused group discussion and individual interviews were held. The findings showed that this problem has multifaceted appearances. Few affecting factors were named as main factors that contribute to this delicate and complicated dilemma of delivering comfort care for patients dying in the nursing home. They are insufficient amount of support that facility provides to the health care workers, inadequate patient-nurse and patient –nursing assistant ratio, not receiving enough of end of life care education, patients and their caregivers being in denial of poor and limited prognosis, as well as diminished doctors’ involvement. Naturally this study upholds much needed health care workers education regarding how best to provide comfort care at the end of life in the nursing home. Finally, it talks about 4 the significance of the presented problem to the health care providers and their practices, accompanied by recommendations for further research.