Nurses' perceptions to alleviate dyspnoea in inpatients with advanced cancer while receiving palliative care.

Kero, Johanna; Koivisto, Jaana-Maija; Lee, Siew Hwa; Haavisto, Elina

Abstract

To explore nurses' perceptions to alleviate dyspnoea in inpatients with advanced cancer while receiving palliative care. A descriptive qualitative design was used. Seven focus groups were conducted with nurses (n = 27) from five specialized palliative care wards in four hospitals in south and southwest Finland. The focus groups were conducted between June and November 2019, and the transcripts were analysed using inductive analysis. The findings revealed three categories: recognizing dyspnoea is a multi-faceted problem, dealing with the complexity of assessment of dyspnoea and strategies for relieving dyspnoea. Nurses perceived the complexity of dyspnoea as a symptom and emphasized the importance of utilizing patients' subjective experiences and consistent assessment scales to determine its severity. Furthermore, nonpharmacological interventions are as pertinent as pharmacological and medical interventions. The findings can assist nurses in selecting appropriate interventions for dyspnoea care, ultimately enhancing the quality of patient care and patient safety.

Citation

KERO, J., KOIVISTO, J.-M., LEE, S.H. and HAAVISTO, E. 2024. Nurses' perceptions to alleviate dyspnoea in inpatients with advanced cancer while receiving palliative care. Nursing open [online], 11(1), e2038. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.2038

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 19, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Nov 28, 2023
• Publication Date: Jan 31, 2024
• Deposit Date: Dec 5, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 5, 2023
• Journal: Nursing open
• Electronic ISSN: 2054-1058
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 11
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: e2038
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.2038
• Keywords: Cancer; Dyspnoea; Nurses' perceptions; Palliative care; Qualitative research
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/1289824
• PMID: 38268248