The nurse practitioner role is ideally suited for palliative care practice: a qualitative descriptive study

Collins, Carmel (2016) The nurse practitioner role is ideally suited for palliative care practice: a qualitative descriptive study. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

Persons with progressive chronic diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and chronic respiratory disease, among others, need palliative care for best quality of life as the conditions become life-threatening and deteriorate toward death. Chronic diseases are most common among older persons; therefore, with an ageing population nurse practitioners (NPs) in various areas of practice likely will encounter an increasing number of patients needing palliative care. The purpose of this study was to understand the role that NPs, who are not palliative specialists, play in providing palliative care. A qualitative descriptive design was used and 19 NPs were interviewed. The findings revealed a central and 5 other themes, indicating that the nurse practitioner role is ideally suited for palliative care practice. Their broad scope and autonomy, presence, and unique practice situations facilitate palliative practice. Impediments to such practice are having limited specialty palliative care knowledge and lacking emotional comfort with providing palliative care.

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