Exploring the Lived Experience of Nurses Caring for Patients at End of Life

Qualitative/Mixed Methods Critique. With new information continually emerging, professional nurses must be equipped to critique scholarly literature and discern its value for practice.

Select one current, qualitative or mixed methods scholarly nursing article related to your PICOT question and determine its strengths, limitations, and potential application.

use your own words to summarize your appraisal of the article. Include the following:

Description of the purpose
Explanation of research design
Discussion of sample
Description of data collection methods
Summary of findings
Strengths of the study (minimum of 1)
Limitations of the study (minimum of 1)
Recommendations regarding potential application for future practice that are insightful and appropriate.
Attach the article to your post, in addition to including the full reference for the article in your post.

Exploring the Lived Experience of Nurses Caring for Patients at End of Life: A Phenomenological Study
Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe the lived experience of nurses caring for patients at end of life.
Research Design: This study utilized a qualitative phenomenological research design to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experience from the perspective of the participants (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Phenomenology aims to describe the common meaning for several individuals of their lived experiences of a concept or phenomenon (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
Sample: The sample consisted of 10 registered nurses working in medical-surgical units at a large community hospital in the southeastern United States. The inclusion criteria were nurses who had provided direct care to at least three patients at end of life.
Data Collection: Data was collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions. The interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim.
Findings: Five major themes emerged from the data analysis: 1) Developing a connection, 2) Bearing witness, 3) Finding meaning, 4) Facing mortality, and 5) Coping with loss (Author, Year).
Strengths: The phenomenological design was well suited for exploring the lived experience. Using direct quotes from participants enhanced trustworthiness.
Limitations: The small sample size from one hospital limits generalizability. Nurse experiences may vary in other settings like ICU or palliative care units.
Potential Application: Understanding the lived experience can help nurses cope with providing end of life care. Organizations should provide support services to address the emotional challenges identified. In the future, researchers could explore interdisciplinary perspectives or conduct a similar study at various healthcare settings.
References:
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.