Nurses' Responses to Requests for Forgiveness at the End of Life

Abstract Context Patients or family members facing serious illness often express regrets over life events or the need for forgiveness. Professionals, including nurses as the prominent discipline at the bedside, witness these expressions of regret or needs for forgiveness but may not be adequately pr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of pain and symptom management 2014-03, Vol.47 (3), p.631-641
Main Authors: Ferrell, Betty, RN, PhD, FAAN, FPCN, Otis-Green, Shirley, MSW, ACSW LCSW OSW-C, Baird, Reverend Pamela, AA, Garcia, Andrea, BA
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anesthesia & Perioperative Care
Attitude of Health Personnel
Belize
Biological and medical sciences
Communication
Education, Nursing
End of life decisions
Forgiveness
Humans
India
Medical sciences
Narration
Narratives
Nurse-Patient Relations
Nurses
Nurses - psychology
Pain Medicine
palliative nursing
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Philippines
Regret
relationships at end of life
Relatives
Romania
Terminal Care - psychology
United States
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Summary:Abstract Context Patients or family members facing serious illness often express regrets over life events or the need for forgiveness. Professionals, including nurses as the prominent discipline at the bedside, witness these expressions of regret or needs for forgiveness but may not be adequately prepared to optimally address patient concerns regarding forgiveness. Objectives The objectives of this descriptive study were to 1) identify contexts in which nurses have witnessed expressions of regret or the need for forgiveness and 2) describe nurses' responses to these clinical experiences related to forgiveness. Methods Nurses attending palliative care educational programs shared narratives of their experiences in caring for patients who expressed regret or the need for forgiveness. Study narratives were analyzed qualitatively, using content analysis. Themes were identified. Results Narratives were provided by 339 nurses from courses throughout the U.S. and Belize, India, the Philippines, and Romania. Conclusion Nurses provide clinical care for patients with advanced illness who struggle with issues of forgiveness. Nurses would benefit from additional education regarding how best to address these concerns.
ISSN:0885-3924
1873-6513
DOI:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2013.05.009