Chinese Neonatal Nurses' Lived Experiences of Providing End-of-Life Care in the NICU: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study

Adv Neonatal Care. 2023 Dec 1;23(6):532-540. doi: 10.1097/ANC.0000000000001113. Epub 2023 Oct 16.ABSTRACTBACKGROUND: Although end-of-life care (EOLC) has been well-studied, the experience of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses in China, where little EOLC training is provided, requires further investigation.PURPOSE: To explore the lived experience of EOLC delivery among NICU nurses, to provide evidence to enhance nurses' EOLC skills and improve their overall quality.METHODS: This qualitative study adopted a phenomenological approach. A total of 11 NICU nurses participated in semistructured in-depth interviews between June and July 2022 at the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). Colaizzi's 7-step method was used to analyze the data.RESULTS: Five main themes were identified: (a) multiple emotions are experienced during EOLC delivery; (b) EOLC delivery is stressful from various sources for nurses; (c) expressing empathy and compassion is important; (d) ethical and clinical decision-making are key components of EOLC delivery; and (e) there are challenges in improving neonatal EOLC understanding and delivery.IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND RESEARCH: The experience of EOLC among Chinese NICU nurses is multidimensional and intensive. Institutions or units must establish and implement related protocols and guidelines to address differences between clinical practice and ideal protocols for neonatal EOLC. Educational programs that cons...
Source: Advances in Neonatal Care - Category: Nursing Authors: Source Type: research