Alleviating suffering of individuals with multimorbidity and complex needs: A descriptive qualitative study

Abstract

Background Individuals living with multimorbidity and/or mental health issues, low education, socioeconomic status, and polypharmacy are often called complex patients. The complexity of their health and social care needs can make them prone to disease burden and suffering. Therefore, they frequently access health care services to seek guidance for managing their illness and suffering. Aims The aim of this research was to describe the approaches used by nurses to alleviate the suffering of individuals with multimorbidity and complex needs in acute care settings. Research Design A qualitative descriptive approach. Participants and Research Context Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 nurses working in general, medical-surgical, specialized, and intensive care settings across five hospitals in Pakistan. Reflexive thematic analysis was used for analysis. Ethical Considerations Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Committee of Al-Nafees Medical College Islamabad, Pakistan. Findings Four themes were generated: Deeper Exploration of Patients’ Health-Illness Situation and Complexity, Prioritizing Patient Psychosocial and Emotional Needs, Instilling Hope and Encouragement in Patients, and Creating a Comforting Environment to Foster Sharing of felt needs. Discussion Nurses emphasized the need of deeper inquiry into patients illness situation and complexity to discern the impact of determinants on their well-being and develop care plans that are tailored to address psychosocial, emotional, and physical suffering of this patient population. Conclusions Alleviation of patient suffering is integral to compassionate nursing care. Nurses use a multifaceted approach entailing sensitive understanding, recognizing sociocultural and structural determinants impact on patient situation, and individual and interdisciplinary altruistic actions to alleviate patient suffering.