The Lived Experiences of Palliative Care Professionals in Cultivating Mindfulness: A Phenomenological Study

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the essence of the lived experiences of palliative care professionals in cultivating mindfulness, with a focus on the meaning of mindfulness in their lives and how mindfulness is experienced throughout their process of caring for others. Design: This was...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of holistic nursing 2024-12, Vol.42 (4), p.347-360
Main Authors: Lai, Wei-Ting, Hsu, Min-Tao, Chou, Wan-Ru, Lee, Pei-Yu
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Adult
Contagion
Empowerment
Female
Grief
Guilt
Health Personnel - psychology
Humans
Interviews
Interviews as Topic - methods
Life experiences
Male
Medical personnel
Middle Aged
Mindfulness
Mindfulness - methods
Nurses
Palliative care
Palliative Care - methods
Palliative Care - psychology
Qualitative Research
Self care
Self regulation
Self-acceptance
Values
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Summary:Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the essence of the lived experiences of palliative care professionals in cultivating mindfulness, with a focus on the meaning of mindfulness in their lives and how mindfulness is experienced throughout their process of caring for others. Design: This was a qualitative study using a phenomenological approach. Methods: Eleven palliative care professionals (three physicians, four nurses, three psychologists, and one spiritual care provider) partook in in-depth interviews. Data were collected from the in-depth interviews and analyzed according to the method of Giorgi. Findings: Two major themes emerged from this study. First, the palliative care professionals realized the need for self-care amid emotional burden, including recognizing their feelings of guilt and self-doubt, emotional contagion of grief, reflections of others’ fragility on themself, and their self-imposed limitations. Second, they noticed the transformative impact of mindfulness on them, including detecting reconnection with their body, changes in their personal values, self-acceptance, and liberation. Conclusion: Palliative care professionals can cultivate self-acceptance and facilitate entirely new life experiences through the practice of mindfulness. For them, mindfulness is not merely a self-regulation technique but an existential epiphany, offering hope for self-care and empowerment.
ISSN:0898-0101
1552-5724
1552-5724
DOI:10.1177/08980101241251508