‘…you just put up with it for the sake of humanity.’: an exploratory qualitative study on causes of stress in palliative care nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
Objective To explore and analyse causes of stress among nurses in palliative and inpatient hospice care settings in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design Explorative, qualitative study using problem-centred interviews. Interview data were analysed using structured qualitative content analysis....
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
2021-12-01
|
| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/12/e051550.full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1846129644334481408 |
|---|---|
| author | Matthew Allsop Martin Heinze Susann May Kerstin Stahlhut Felix Mühlensiepen |
| author_facet | Matthew Allsop Martin Heinze Susann May Kerstin Stahlhut Felix Mühlensiepen |
| author_sort | Matthew Allsop |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective To explore and analyse causes of stress among nurses in palliative and inpatient hospice care settings in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design Explorative, qualitative study using problem-centred interviews. Interview data were analysed using structured qualitative content analysis.Setting Telephone interviews with nurses of different settings of palliative and inpatient hospice care.Participants 16 nurses from inpatient hospice, palliative care units and specialised palliative home care were recruited.Results COVID-19 infection control measures placed both physical and psychological strain on palliative care nurses. Due to changes in infection control information, workflows were being readjusted on a daily basis, preventing everyday routines and hindering relief from stress. There are reduced and limited opportunities for sharing and reflecting on daily working routines with team colleagues. Specific causes of stress in the individual settings of palliative and inpatient hospice care were identified. Overall, there is a tension between the nurses’ perceptions of proper palliative care nursing, in terms of closeness, psychosocial and emotional support and compliance with infection control measures.Conclusions Palliative care nurses have been exposed to high levels of both physical and psychological stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. This requires rapid relief and support, with a need to ensure continuity of professional supervision and peer-support, which may be facilitated via digital technologies. The unique role of nurses in inpatient hospice and palliative care during COVID-19 ought to be recognised and valorised. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e051ca2eaa904b0781b70c4875539f7f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-e051ca2eaa904b0781b70c4875539f7f2024-12-10T00:35:09ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552021-12-01111210.1136/bmjopen-2021-051550‘…you just put up with it for the sake of humanity.’: an exploratory qualitative study on causes of stress in palliative care nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic in GermanyMatthew Allsop0Martin Heinze1Susann May2Kerstin Stahlhut3Felix Mühlensiepen4Academic Unit of Palliative Care, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, UKCenter for Health Services Research, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Neuruppin, GermanyCenter for Health Services Research, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Neuruppin, GermanyDepartment of Oncology and Palliative Medicine, Immanuel Klinik Rüdersdorf, Rüdersdorf, Brandenburg, GermanyCenter for Health Services Research, Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane, Neuruppin, GermanyObjective To explore and analyse causes of stress among nurses in palliative and inpatient hospice care settings in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design Explorative, qualitative study using problem-centred interviews. Interview data were analysed using structured qualitative content analysis.Setting Telephone interviews with nurses of different settings of palliative and inpatient hospice care.Participants 16 nurses from inpatient hospice, palliative care units and specialised palliative home care were recruited.Results COVID-19 infection control measures placed both physical and psychological strain on palliative care nurses. Due to changes in infection control information, workflows were being readjusted on a daily basis, preventing everyday routines and hindering relief from stress. There are reduced and limited opportunities for sharing and reflecting on daily working routines with team colleagues. Specific causes of stress in the individual settings of palliative and inpatient hospice care were identified. Overall, there is a tension between the nurses’ perceptions of proper palliative care nursing, in terms of closeness, psychosocial and emotional support and compliance with infection control measures.Conclusions Palliative care nurses have been exposed to high levels of both physical and psychological stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. This requires rapid relief and support, with a need to ensure continuity of professional supervision and peer-support, which may be facilitated via digital technologies. The unique role of nurses in inpatient hospice and palliative care during COVID-19 ought to be recognised and valorised.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/12/e051550.full |
| spellingShingle | Matthew Allsop Martin Heinze Susann May Kerstin Stahlhut Felix Mühlensiepen ‘…you just put up with it for the sake of humanity.’: an exploratory qualitative study on causes of stress in palliative care nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany BMJ Open |
| title | ‘…you just put up with it for the sake of humanity.’: an exploratory qualitative study on causes of stress in palliative care nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany |
| title_full | ‘…you just put up with it for the sake of humanity.’: an exploratory qualitative study on causes of stress in palliative care nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany |
| title_fullStr | ‘…you just put up with it for the sake of humanity.’: an exploratory qualitative study on causes of stress in palliative care nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany |
| title_full_unstemmed | ‘…you just put up with it for the sake of humanity.’: an exploratory qualitative study on causes of stress in palliative care nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany |
| title_short | ‘…you just put up with it for the sake of humanity.’: an exploratory qualitative study on causes of stress in palliative care nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany |
| title_sort | you just put up with it for the sake of humanity an exploratory qualitative study on causes of stress in palliative care nursing during the covid 19 pandemic in germany |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/12/e051550.full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT matthewallsop youjustputupwithitforthesakeofhumanityanexploratoryqualitativestudyoncausesofstressinpalliativecarenursingduringthecovid19pandemicingermany AT martinheinze youjustputupwithitforthesakeofhumanityanexploratoryqualitativestudyoncausesofstressinpalliativecarenursingduringthecovid19pandemicingermany AT susannmay youjustputupwithitforthesakeofhumanityanexploratoryqualitativestudyoncausesofstressinpalliativecarenursingduringthecovid19pandemicingermany AT kerstinstahlhut youjustputupwithitforthesakeofhumanityanexploratoryqualitativestudyoncausesofstressinpalliativecarenursingduringthecovid19pandemicingermany AT felixmuhlensiepen youjustputupwithitforthesakeofhumanityanexploratoryqualitativestudyoncausesofstressinpalliativecarenursingduringthecovid19pandemicingermany |