Complexity of Nurse Practitioners’ Role in Facilitating a Dignified Death for Long-Term Care Home Residents during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Due to the interplay of multiple complex and interrelated factors, long-term care (LTC) home residents are increasingly vulnerable to sustaining poor outcomes in crisis situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic. While death is considered an unavoidable end for LTC home residents, the importance of fa...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-05-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Personalized Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/11/5/433 |
| _version_ | 1797533518938505216 |
|---|---|
| author | Shirin Vellani Veronique Boscart Astrid Escrig-Pinol Alexia Cumal Alexandra Krassikova Souraya Sidani Nancy Zheng Lydia Yeung Katherine S. McGilton |
| author_facet | Shirin Vellani Veronique Boscart Astrid Escrig-Pinol Alexia Cumal Alexandra Krassikova Souraya Sidani Nancy Zheng Lydia Yeung Katherine S. McGilton |
| author_sort | Shirin Vellani |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Due to the interplay of multiple complex and interrelated factors, long-term care (LTC) home residents are increasingly vulnerable to sustaining poor outcomes in crisis situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic. While death is considered an unavoidable end for LTC home residents, the importance of facilitating a good death is one of the primary goals of palliative and end-of-life care. Nurse practitioners (NPs) are well-situated to optimize the palliative and end-of-life care needs of LTC home residents. This study explores the role of NPs in facilitating a dignified death for LTC home residents while also facing increased pressures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The current exploratory qualitative study employed a phenomenological approach. A purposive sample of 14 NPs working in LTC homes was recruited. Data were generated using semi-structured interviews and examined using thematic analysis. Three categories were derived: (a) advance care planning and goals of care discussions; (b) pain and symptom management at the end-of-life; and (c) care after death. The findings suggest that further implementation of the NP role in LTC homes in collaboration with LTC home team and external partners will promote a good death and optimize the experiences of residents and their care partners during the end-of-life journey. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:16:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f4f96805237b478c85dbab4dd729d9f7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4426 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:16:40Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Personalized Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-f4f96805237b478c85dbab4dd729d9f72023-11-21T20:25:26ZengMDPI AGJournal of Personalized Medicine2075-44262021-05-0111543310.3390/jpm11050433Complexity of Nurse Practitioners’ Role in Facilitating a Dignified Death for Long-Term Care Home Residents during the COVID-19 PandemicShirin Vellani0Veronique Boscart1Astrid Escrig-Pinol2Alexia Cumal3Alexandra Krassikova4Souraya Sidani5Nancy Zheng6Lydia Yeung7Katherine S. McGilton8KITE, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute–University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2A2, CanadaKITE, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute–University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2A2, CanadaKITE, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute–University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2A2, CanadaKITE, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute–University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2A2, CanadaKITE, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute–University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2A2, CanadaDaphne Cockwell School of Nursing, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON M5B 1Z5, CanadaKITE, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute–University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2A2, CanadaKITE, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute–University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2A2, CanadaKITE, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute–University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2A2, CanadaDue to the interplay of multiple complex and interrelated factors, long-term care (LTC) home residents are increasingly vulnerable to sustaining poor outcomes in crisis situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic. While death is considered an unavoidable end for LTC home residents, the importance of facilitating a good death is one of the primary goals of palliative and end-of-life care. Nurse practitioners (NPs) are well-situated to optimize the palliative and end-of-life care needs of LTC home residents. This study explores the role of NPs in facilitating a dignified death for LTC home residents while also facing increased pressures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The current exploratory qualitative study employed a phenomenological approach. A purposive sample of 14 NPs working in LTC homes was recruited. Data were generated using semi-structured interviews and examined using thematic analysis. Three categories were derived: (a) advance care planning and goals of care discussions; (b) pain and symptom management at the end-of-life; and (c) care after death. The findings suggest that further implementation of the NP role in LTC homes in collaboration with LTC home team and external partners will promote a good death and optimize the experiences of residents and their care partners during the end-of-life journey.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/11/5/433nurse practitionersnursing homeCOVID-19palliative careend-of-lifedignified death |
| spellingShingle | Shirin Vellani Veronique Boscart Astrid Escrig-Pinol Alexia Cumal Alexandra Krassikova Souraya Sidani Nancy Zheng Lydia Yeung Katherine S. McGilton Complexity of Nurse Practitioners’ Role in Facilitating a Dignified Death for Long-Term Care Home Residents during the COVID-19 Pandemic Journal of Personalized Medicine nurse practitioners nursing home COVID-19 palliative care end-of-life dignified death |
| title | Complexity of Nurse Practitioners’ Role in Facilitating a Dignified Death for Long-Term Care Home Residents during the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_full | Complexity of Nurse Practitioners’ Role in Facilitating a Dignified Death for Long-Term Care Home Residents during the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Complexity of Nurse Practitioners’ Role in Facilitating a Dignified Death for Long-Term Care Home Residents during the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Complexity of Nurse Practitioners’ Role in Facilitating a Dignified Death for Long-Term Care Home Residents during the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_short | Complexity of Nurse Practitioners’ Role in Facilitating a Dignified Death for Long-Term Care Home Residents during the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_sort | complexity of nurse practitioners role in facilitating a dignified death for long term care home residents during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | nurse practitioners nursing home COVID-19 palliative care end-of-life dignified death |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/11/5/433 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT shirinvellani complexityofnursepractitionersroleinfacilitatingadignifieddeathforlongtermcarehomeresidentsduringthecovid19pandemic AT veroniqueboscart complexityofnursepractitionersroleinfacilitatingadignifieddeathforlongtermcarehomeresidentsduringthecovid19pandemic AT astridescrigpinol complexityofnursepractitionersroleinfacilitatingadignifieddeathforlongtermcarehomeresidentsduringthecovid19pandemic AT alexiacumal complexityofnursepractitionersroleinfacilitatingadignifieddeathforlongtermcarehomeresidentsduringthecovid19pandemic AT alexandrakrassikova complexityofnursepractitionersroleinfacilitatingadignifieddeathforlongtermcarehomeresidentsduringthecovid19pandemic AT sourayasidani complexityofnursepractitionersroleinfacilitatingadignifieddeathforlongtermcarehomeresidentsduringthecovid19pandemic AT nancyzheng complexityofnursepractitionersroleinfacilitatingadignifieddeathforlongtermcarehomeresidentsduringthecovid19pandemic AT lydiayeung complexityofnursepractitionersroleinfacilitatingadignifieddeathforlongtermcarehomeresidentsduringthecovid19pandemic AT katherinesmcgilton complexityofnursepractitionersroleinfacilitatingadignifieddeathforlongtermcarehomeresidentsduringthecovid19pandemic |