Palliative care in rural areas – collaboration between district nurses and doctors: an interview study
Abstract Background Palliative care requires major nursing interventions as well as medical interventions; thus, both district nurses and doctors are vital to the palliative team. Sparsely populated rural areas are characterised by large geographic distances with the nurses and doctors located far a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-06-01
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| Series: | BMC Palliative Care |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-023-01190-9 |
| _version_ | 1797801211544469504 |
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| author | Ulla Näppä Elin Nässén Idun Winqvist |
| author_facet | Ulla Näppä Elin Nässén Idun Winqvist |
| author_sort | Ulla Näppä |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Palliative care requires major nursing interventions as well as medical interventions; thus, both district nurses and doctors are vital to the palliative team. Sparsely populated rural areas are characterised by large geographic distances with the nurses and doctors located far away from each other. If collaboration does not work, this can create challenges for district nurses when managing patients’ symptoms. The aim of this study was to describe district nurses’ experiences of collaborating with doctors-in-charge during palliative home care in sparsely populated rural areas. Method Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 district nurses. Inductive content analysis was used to analyse the data. Results The experiences of the district nurses are described under the overarching theme of Experiences of acting as the patient’s advocate, which is divided into two categories: Feeling secure in oneself and the other person and Feeling alone when collaboration breaks down. Conclusion Consensus and coherence, or lack thereof, between district nurses and doctors affect how collaboration is experienced. Positive experiences are generated when the district nurse and the doctor share a holistic approach, while collaboration is experienced as dysfunctional when the doctor’s decisions are not consistent with what the nurse judges to be beneficial to the patient. An understanding of how collaboration across long distances is experienced in rural areas is necessary to enhance collaboration. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:47:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f0cf9b3c61df4912bbe8cd4e617bf721 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-684X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:47:00Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Palliative Care |
| spelling | doaj.art-f0cf9b3c61df4912bbe8cd4e617bf7212023-06-18T11:28:09ZengBMCBMC Palliative Care1472-684X2023-06-0122111310.1186/s12904-023-01190-9Palliative care in rural areas – collaboration between district nurses and doctors: an interview studyUlla Näppä0Elin Nässén1Idun Winqvist2Department of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden UniversityDepartment of Surgery, Östersund HospitalDepartment of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden UniversityAbstract Background Palliative care requires major nursing interventions as well as medical interventions; thus, both district nurses and doctors are vital to the palliative team. Sparsely populated rural areas are characterised by large geographic distances with the nurses and doctors located far away from each other. If collaboration does not work, this can create challenges for district nurses when managing patients’ symptoms. The aim of this study was to describe district nurses’ experiences of collaborating with doctors-in-charge during palliative home care in sparsely populated rural areas. Method Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 district nurses. Inductive content analysis was used to analyse the data. Results The experiences of the district nurses are described under the overarching theme of Experiences of acting as the patient’s advocate, which is divided into two categories: Feeling secure in oneself and the other person and Feeling alone when collaboration breaks down. Conclusion Consensus and coherence, or lack thereof, between district nurses and doctors affect how collaboration is experienced. Positive experiences are generated when the district nurse and the doctor share a holistic approach, while collaboration is experienced as dysfunctional when the doctor’s decisions are not consistent with what the nurse judges to be beneficial to the patient. An understanding of how collaboration across long distances is experienced in rural areas is necessary to enhance collaboration.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-023-01190-9District nurseHome careInterprofessional collaborationInterviewPalliative careSparsely populated rural area |
| spellingShingle | Ulla Näppä Elin Nässén Idun Winqvist Palliative care in rural areas – collaboration between district nurses and doctors: an interview study BMC Palliative Care District nurse Home care Interprofessional collaboration Interview Palliative care Sparsely populated rural area |
| title | Palliative care in rural areas – collaboration between district nurses and doctors: an interview study |
| title_full | Palliative care in rural areas – collaboration between district nurses and doctors: an interview study |
| title_fullStr | Palliative care in rural areas – collaboration between district nurses and doctors: an interview study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Palliative care in rural areas – collaboration between district nurses and doctors: an interview study |
| title_short | Palliative care in rural areas – collaboration between district nurses and doctors: an interview study |
| title_sort | palliative care in rural areas collaboration between district nurses and doctors an interview study |
| topic | District nurse Home care Interprofessional collaboration Interview Palliative care Sparsely populated rural area |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-023-01190-9 |
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