Exploring the Dreams of Hospice Workers

Abstract

Nine adults who worked at least 1 year with patients at US hospice centers completed an in-person audiotaped dream session focusing on a dream about a patient. Data were analyzed using consensual qualitative research. Patients were generally manifestly present in participants' dreams, and dreams were typically realistic (i.e., not bizarre). In the dream, the dreamer typically interacted with the patient as a caretaker but was also typically frustrated by an inability to help as fully as desired. Dreams gave dreamers insight into the stress of hospice work, their own fears of death, and inter-/intrapersonal interactions beyond hospice work. Dreamers generally sought to take better care of themselves and find balance in their lives after the dream session. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Meaning-centered dream work with hospice patients: A pilot study

“…This method has been employed primarily for the study of therapeutic factors and techniques in counseling and psychotherapy. However, several studies have used CQR to analyze dream-work sessions using the cognitive -experiential model of dream work (Hess et al, 2013;Tien et al, 2009;Wonjin et al, 2010), as was the case in our study.…”

“…In this study, clients who had experienced recent losses and were suffering from troubling dreams benefited more from dream-focused counseling than from loss-focused counseling in terms of depth, working alliance, and insight. A recent study (Hess et al, 2013) explored dream-work sessions with hospice workers and was the first published application of this model to the end-of-life environment. Davis and Hill (2005) explored the efficacy of a modification of this model Dream work with hospice patients that included a spiritual and existential focus.…”

“…This was the first study to specifically and systematically examine the relationship between the cognitive -experiential model of dream interpretation and existential well-being. A recent study (Hess et al, 2013) explored dream-work sessions with hospice workers and was the first published application of this model to the end-of-life environment. The results of that study, that dream work helped hospice workers come to terms with the deterioration and death of those they cared for, provide further impetus for studying this approach with the hospice patients themselves.…”

Can Writing and Storytelling Foster Self-care?

“…Research into self-care practices suggests the need for conscientious and systematic support for nurses and other health care providers. 2 - 5 Ideally, care for caregivers should target the mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being of the individual, the team, and the organization. 2 , 5 Research into self-care and the prevention of burnout for health care providers recommends preventative and prescriptive practices such as attention to diet, exercise, and rest.…”

“… 2 - 5 Ideally, care for caregivers should target the mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being of the individual, the team, and the organization. 2 , 5 Research into self-care and the prevention of burnout for health care providers recommends preventative and prescriptive practices such as attention to diet, exercise, and rest. 6 Although practices such as these are shown to strengthen resilience, 7 they fall short in addressing deeper, emotional stressors that caregivers experience and serve as simplistic solutions that can result in blaming the victim.…”