Maintaining a healthy and professional practice: a grounded theory study of palliative care nurses

Abstract

Researchers have found that nurses suffer from burnout caused by many factors including staffing shortages and poor communication. A decrease in job satisfaction leads to increased nursing turnover and compromised patient care. This loss of staff, coupled with the upcoming shortages in the nursing profession due to retirement and decreased entry into the profession, is expected to challenge the quality of health care in Canadian hospitals. A qualitative grounded theory study was be conducted to explore how do palliative care nurses maintain a healthy and professional practice? This study expanded the understanding of how nurses continue to learn, provide quality care and manage to avoid suffering from burnout and decreased job satisfaction. The sample population was palliative care nurses working on a designated palliative care unit within the Calgary Health Region. For approximately two months data were collected by conducting interviews with individuals, creating field notes, and writing memos. Through ongoing data analysis and the integration of the current literature, a theory on the development of palliative care nurses was created. It is hoped that through this study, a greater understanding of palliative care nursing will impact what management and educators provide to assist nurses currently working in palliative care and prepare new nurses entering the specialty. The study may also influence interdisciplinary education modalities and encourage a team communication focus.