Personal narratives of nurses who care for patients at the end of life

Abstract

Background: Little attention has been paid to the ways in which nurses personally experience, understand and assign meaning to providing palliative care. Aim: A qualitative study of four nurses working with patients in the terminal phase in a hospital in Mexico was conducted to understand their lived professional experiences and relationships with death. Methods: Four interviews were analysed using the Greimasian actantial-semiotic model. Actants were categorised by narrative role and their actions were analysed. The grammatical features of the narration were also examined. Findings: Nurses sought a good death for the patient, which they typically achieved, and spiritual peace for themselves, which they often did not. Nurses placed a high value on personal, social and professional recognition for their work. The philosophical themes affecting nursing as a vocation that emerged included life and death, truth and honesty and the role of God and the family. These professional values were often contradictory, and these dilemmas should be addressed in professional training and support.