End-of-life care in the patient's home

Abstract

Background: Providing end-of-life care in a patient's home is challenging, especially if the nurse is from a different ethnic background from the patient. Evidence shows that people from an ethnic minority background often experience poorer end-of-life care due to care providers not understanding their care needs. Aim: To explore the experiences of community nursing staff caring for patients with an ethnic minority background at the end of their life. Method: Using a qualitative descriptive approach, 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted and the data was thematically analysed. Finding: Participants dealt with large tight-knit families, paternalism and controlling behaviours. There was a mistrust of Western palliative medicine. Language barriers and challenges were faced by the nursing staff, resulting in difficult conversations with the families. Different levels of the nursing staff's spiritual/cultural competencies were also identified. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the challenges. Conclusion: This research has shed light on the challenges of individualising end-of-life care in a culturally diverse community in the UK. The nursing staff's cultural/spiritual competencies were challenged.