Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38858719›Full record

ArticleBMC palliative care2024

Challenges in recognizing and discussing changes in a resident's condition in the palliative phase: focus group discussions with nursing staff working in nursing homes about their experiences.

C Bagchus, M S Zee, J T van der Steen, M S Klapwijk, N Lemos Dekker, B D Onwuteaka-Philipsen, H R W Pasman

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC palliative care, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

C BagchusDepartment of Public and Occupational Health, Expertise Center for Palliative Care, Amsterdam UMC, VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
M S ZeeDepartment of Public and Occupational Health, Expertise Center for Palliative Care, Amsterdam UMC, VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
J T van der SteenDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Hippocratespad 21, Gebouw 3, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands.
M S KlapwijkDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Hippocratespad 21, Gebouw 3, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands.
N Lemos DekkerInstitute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.
B D Onwuteaka-PhilipsenDepartment of Public and Occupational Health, Expertise Center for Palliative Care, Amsterdam UMC, VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
H R W PasmanDepartment of Public and Occupational Health, Expertise Center for Palliative Care, Amsterdam UMC, VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. hrw.pasman@amsterdamumc.nl.

Funding

ZonMw 844001707
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMost nursing home residents have complex care needs, require palliative care and eventually die in these facilities. Timely recognition of changes in a resident's condition is crucial for providing appropriate care. Observations by nursing staff play a significant role in identifying and interpreting these changes.

methodsFocus group discussions were conducted with nursing staff from ten nursing homes in the Netherlands to explore their experiences and challenges in recognizing and discussing changes in a resident's condition. These discussions were analysed following the principles of thematic analysis.

resultsThe analysis of the challenges nursing staff face in identifying and interpreting changes in a resident's condition, resulted in three themes. First, that recognizing changes is considered complex, because it requires specialized knowledge and skills that is generally not part of their education and must partly be learned in practice. This also depends on how familiar the nursing staff is with the resident. Furthermore, different people observe residents through different lenses, depending on their relation and experiences with residents. This could lead to disagreements about the resident's condition. Lastly, organizational structures such as the resources available to document and discuss a resident's condition and the hierarchy between nursing home professionals often hindered discussions and sharing observations.

conclusionNursing staff's experiences highlight the complexity of recognizing and discussing changes in nursing home residents' conditions. While supporting the observational skills of nursing staff is important, it is not enough to improve the quality of care for nursing home residents with palliative care needs. As nursing staff experiences challenges at different, interrelated levels, improving the process of recognizing and discussing changes in nursing home residents requires an integrated approach in which the organization strengthens the position of nursing staff. It is important that their observations become a valued and integrated and part of nursing home care.

Indexed as

Focus GroupsNursing HomesNursing StaffPalliative CareQualitative ResearchAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNetherlandsNursesNursing homesPalliative careTerminal care

Identifiers

PMID38858719
PMCPMC11163817

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.