Factors in the Frustrations of Visiting Nurses Providing End-of-Life Care for Late-Stage Elderly

Abstract

Purpose：We aimed to identify the frustrations caused by ethical dilemmas among visiting nurses who provide end-of-life care to people aged 75 or older （late-stage elderly）.

Method：Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with six visiting nurses who had over 5 years of experience in their field and then analyzed qualitatively and inductively.

Results：The following frustrations among visiting nurses were found: although they wish to practice end-of-life care that respect the preferences of late-stage elderly patients, “the preferences of the patients themselves are not respected,” “patients are not provided with nursing care that meets their needs” （including end-of-life nursing care for patients and their families）, and although multidisciplinary collaboration is necessary, “patients are not provided with end-of-life support by multidisciplinary health professionals.”

Conclusion：Three categories of frustrations experienced by visiting nurses in end-of-life care for the late-stage elderly were extracted. To avoid or alleviate these frustrations, visiting nurses may need to learn ethical principles and　approaches for resolving ethical issues, and to study cases by applying these ethical principles. Strengthening of community-based support systems for end-of-life care may also be necessary.