UNDERSTANDING NURSES’ EXPERIENCES OF PROVIDING END-OF-LIFE CARE IN THE UNITED STATES HOSPITAL SETTING

Nurses perform a vital role in the care of dying patients and their families. Hence, experiences of nurses are a meaningful source from which to advance holistic end-of-life care. In this study, a hermeneutic phenomenological perspective was used to explore the phenomenon of end-of-life nursing care. Details derived from a scientific exploration into the experiences of 13 registered nurses who provided care for patients and families at end-of-life in the inpatient hospital setting offer understandings regarding this important phenomenon. The hermeneutic phenomenological methods of Max van Manen guided data collection and analysis. Three main themes described the participants’ experience of nursing care at end-of-life: “Confronting Challenges,” “Coming to Understand End-of-Life Care,” and “Transforming the Understanding of End-of-Life Care into Nursing Practice.” Recommendations for nursing education, practice, and research were derived.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Nursing

Year dc:date.available

2010

Author dc:creator

• Johnson, Susan

Contributors dc:contributor

• D. Patricia Gray

• dying and death
• end-of-life
• hermeneutic
• hospital
• phenomenology
• nursing care
• nurses’ experiences
• Medicine and Health Sciences
• Nursing

Statement dc:rights

• © The Author

Identifier

https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/117

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-1116