ABSTRACT
New oncology nurses face multiple stressors related to the predicted nursing shortage,demanding work responsibilities, and growing complexity of cancer care. The confluence of these stressors often causes new nurses to leave their profession. The loss of new nurses leads to staffing, economic, and safety concerns, which have a significant impact on the quality of oncology nursing care.
Subject(s)
Nursing Staff, Hospital/psychology , Oncology Nursing , Stress, Psychological/etiology , Adaptation, Psychological , Adult , Cancer Care Facilities , Female , Humans , Male , New York , Stress, Psychological/therapy , Surveys and Questionnaires , Young AdultABSTRACT
End-of-life dreams and visions (ELDVs) are well documented throughout history and across cultures with impact on the dying person and their loved ones having profound meaning. Published studies on ELDVs are primarily based on surveys or interviews with clinicians or families of dead persons. This study uniquely examined patient dreams and visions from their personal perspective. This article reports the qualitative findings from dreams and visions of 63 hospice patients. Inductive content analysis was used to examine the content and subjective significance of ELDVs. Six categories emerged: comforting presence, preparing to go, watching or engaging with the deceased, loved ones waiting, distressing experiences, and unfinished business.
Subject(s)
Dreams/psychology , Hospice Care/psychology , Terminally Ill/psychology , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Attitude to Death , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Qualitative ResearchABSTRACT
This qualitative study examined the process families use to care for a depressed and suicidal family member at home. The grounded theory method was used for data collection and analysis. Seventeen family members were interviewed. The data revealed the basic social process of Maintaining Vigilance Through Managing, which depicts an ongoing, cyclical process that begins at a point of not knowing. Family members then move on to identifying, then gaining awareness, followed by knowing or understanding. This allows them to take action, then to proceed to watching and waiting. They then return to gaining awareness armed with new knowledge or understanding. It is at this point that the process becomes cyclical. It varies in intensity over time, depending on the level of depression and the risk for suicide. To preserve the integrity of these families, nurses must help develop strategies to guide them through this process as they care for their depressed and suicidal loved one.