Goodridge Donna, Bond John B, Cameron Cynthia, McKean Elizabeth
College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
Int J Palliat Nurs. 2005 May;11(5):226-32. doi: 10.12968/ijpn.2005.11.5.226.
To examine the perspectives of family members, registered nurses and healthcare aides regarding the last 72 hours of Canadian nursing home residents' lives.
Exploratory, descriptive design using semistructured interviews.
Consisted of 14 registered nurses and eight healthcare aides who had provided care within the last 72 hours before a resident's death and four family members who had visited within the same time frame.
A 220-bed nursing home located within a larger long-term care facility in Canada.
Thematic analysis was conducted independently and through consensus identified themes and subthemes emerging from the interviews.
Dyspnea was a more common end-of-life (EoL) symptom for nursing home residents in this sample than was pain. Caring behaviours of staff were central to the resident's dying process and involved assessment, coordination of care, physical care, family education and nurture. Family members' ambivalence about the resident's death and fear of the resident dying alone were frequently noted.
Appropriate and timely symptom management and a range of caring behaviours of staff are critical elements in the dying experience of nursing home residents. Additional education and support for personnel involved with caring for this group will enhance end-of-life care.
探讨家庭成员、注册护士和医护助理对于加拿大养老院居民生命最后72小时的看法。
采用半结构化访谈的探索性描述性设计。
由14名在居民死亡前最后72小时内提供护理服务的注册护士、8名医护助理以及4名在同一时间段内进行探访的家庭成员组成。
位于加拿大一家大型长期护理机构内的一所拥有220张床位的养老院。
独立进行主题分析，并通过共识确定访谈中出现的主题和子主题。
在该样本中，与疼痛相比，呼吸困难是养老院居民更常见的临终症状。工作人员的关怀行为是居民临终过程的核心，包括评估、护理协调、身体护理、家庭教育和关怀。经常有人指出，家庭成员对居民死亡存在矛盾心理，且担心居民孤独离世。
适当及时的症状管理以及工作人员的一系列关怀行为是养老院居民临终体验的关键要素。为参与照顾这一群体的人员提供更多教育和支持将改善临终护理。
