Tímarit hjúkrunarfræðinga - 2023, Page 79

2. tbl. 99. árg. 2023 | Tímarit hjúkrunarfræðinga 77
The aim of this study was to answer the research
question: What are the facilitators and barriers to
good end-of-life care in non-specialist palliative
care wards?
Specialized palliative care wards are staffed with
healthcare professionals experienced and educated
in palliative care, and are often better staffed than
general inpatient wards. Patients with severe
symptoms and complex problems, can receive
the specialized palliative care they need in these
wards. End-of-life care is not only provided in these
specialized palliative care wards, but also within
other health care settings where the conditions are
suboptimal for this type of care and staff may lack
competence in palliative and end-of-life care.
This scoping review follows the Joanna
Briggs Foundation guidelines, the five-stage
methodological framework of Arksey and O’Malley
and the PRISMA-ScR. PubMed and Cinahl databases
were searched. The keywords were: general ward,
hospital ward, medical ward, medicine ward,
palliative care, terminal care, end-of-life care,
nurses, nursing and nurse.
With training and education, optimal
circumstances, and environment, end-of-life care
can be improved in non-specialized palliative care
settings. Further studies are needed on the matter,
with focus on successful implementation of end-of-
life care in non-specialized palliative care settings.
Aim
Background Results
ENGLISH SUMMARY
End-of-life care in non-
specialized palliative care
settings: A scoping review
Method
Barriers, competence, end-of-life care, facilitators,
general inpatient ward, nursing, palliative care
ward, scoping review
Correspondent:
geg1@hi.is
Conclusion
Keywords
Geirsdóttir, G. E., Ólafsdóttir, K. L., Bragadóttir, H.
The literature search identified 367 studies with 11
of them meeting the inclusion criteria. The results
are presented as five themes describing factors
identified as facilitators or barriers characterizing
good end-of-life care in non-specialized palliative
care settings: 1) competence and knowledge of
staff, 2) staffing, 3) environment, 4) communication
and discussions of end-of-life care and 5) shared
vision on end-of-life care. Facilitating factors
were competence in end-of-life care, ample
staffing, a supportive environment, a care plan
for the dying person, clinical guidelines, and good
communication. Barriers were incompetence in
end-of-life care, too high patient load, lack of
private patient rooms, lack of clinical pathways and
interdisciplinary teamwork, and the communication
on the imminent death of the patient occurring too
late.
End-of-life care in non- specialized palliative care settings: A scoping review