Hospice Attitudes of Physicians and Nurses

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to gauge the attitudes of internal medicine (IM) physicians and hospice nurses on the hospice programs in a Southeastern US county. A postal survey sought views on the following issues: (1) the level of control that hospice affords dying patients; (2) health care professionals' education and communication involving the dying process; (3) the hospice referral process; (4) characteristics of a ''good death''; and (5) gender versus professional role regarding hospice attitudes. The data revealed that occupational role in hospice care has a more significant function in the development of cognitive attitudes than of gender regarding hospice programs and that professional education needs more emphasis on the study of end-of-life issues, as well as open communication between health care professionals and patients during the dying process. Physicians were less likely than nurses to agree that patient control was important. Additionally, what constitutes a good death was similar to previous studies.

Physicians’ perspectives on estimating and communicating prognosis in palliative care: a cross-sectional survey

“… 27 , 41 , 42 Other studies have found differences in terminology and in attitudes towards palliative care and ACP between physicians working in different care settings. 28 , 40 , 43 …”

“…A questionnaire was developed for this study with three versions (for GPs, HPs, and NHPs) to enable adequate formulation of the same questions and statements for each specialism. Questions were formulated based on earlier research about estimating prognosis 28 , 29 and collaboration among HPs and GPs. 22 Further, previously developed questionnaires were used.…”

Exploring the Contemporary Stage and Scripts for the Enactment of Dying Roles: A Narrative Review of the Literature

“…Palliative care services include among their stated aims a commitment to patient (and family) centeredness, recognition of individual uniqueness, and delivery of collaborative, holistic care, all of which, at least theoretically, should foster an approach to dying that is markedly more open, personalized, and humanistic than that of the modern era (Dahlin, 2013; Palliative Care Australia, 2005; World Health Organization, 2007). Recent survey data of the attitudes of 47 internal medicine doctors and 39 hospice nurses would seem to support this position, with 100% of respondents indicating a belief that hospice care gives patients some autonomy and 95% agreeing that it provides patients with a sense of control (Bakanic, Singleton, & Dickinson, 2016).…”

Palyati̇f Bakim Hastalari, Yakinlari Ve Hemşi̇releri̇ni̇n İyi̇ Ölüme İli̇şki̇n Görüşleri̇

“…İyi ölüm bazı hastalar açısından genellikle sevdikleriyle beraber olmak, onlarla vedalaşma fırsatı bulabilmek, yeterli bakım almaktır. Bazı hastalara göre ise bağımlı olmadan, deliryum, ağrı ve inkontinans yaşamadan ve travmatik tedavilere maruz kalmadan ölmektir (5)(6)(7). Hasta yakınlarına göre iyi ölüm; ölüm sürecini kısaltmak, ölmekte olan kişi ile birlikte olmak ya da olmamak, ekip tarafından destek görmek ve ölüm hakkında bilgilendirmektir.…”

“…İyi bir ölümün özellikleri kişiden kişiye değişebilse de, birçok kişi hastanın gururuyla ölmesi, sevdiklerinin yanında olması ve yapılabilecek her şeyin yapılması maddelerinde hemfikirdir. Palyatif bakım hemşirelerinin iyi ölüme ilişkin görüşleri, hasta bakım kalitesini etkileyen önemli bir faktördür (7,8). Hemşirelerin kaliteli, hastaya özgü palyatif bakım sağlamaları için, hasta ve yakınlarının iyi ölümü nasıl algıladıklarını bilmeleri ve bu kapsamda bakım planı yapmaları gerekmektedir (1,3,8).…”