Global Survey of the Roles, Satisfaction, and Barriers of Home Health Care Nurses on the Provision of Palliative Care

Jeannine M. Brant*, Regina M. Fink, Cara Thompson, Ya Huei Li, Maryam Rassouli, Tomoko Majima, Tomoko Osuka, Nahla Gafer, Ayfer Ayden, Khaled Khader, Eulalia Lascar, Lili Tang, Sophia Nestoros, Maihan Abdullah, Natasha Michael, Julie Cerruti, Eric Ngaho, Yolanda Kadig, Mohamed Hablas, Rana IstambouliMary A. Muckaden, Mushtaq Najm Ali, Bella Aligolshvili, Rana Obeidat, Gulnara Kunirova, Ma'An Al-Omari, Mohammad Qadire, Suha Omran, Marie C. Mouhawej, Mohcine Zouak, Ibtisam Ghrayeb, Nemeh Manasrah, Alexey Youssef, Paz Fernández-Ortega, Gonca Tuncel Oguz, Loyoda Amor Cajucona, Kassie Leaphart, Alexa Day, Michael Silbermann

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

25 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: The World Health Assembly urges members to build palliative care (PC) capacity as an ethical imperative. Nurses provide PC services in a variety of settings, including the home and may be the only health care professional able to access some disparate populations. Identifying current nursing services, resources, and satisfaction and barriers to nursing practice are essential to build global PC capacity. Objective: To globally examine home health care nurses' practice, satisfaction, and barriers, regarding existing palliative home care provision. Design: Needs assessment survey. Setting/Subjects: Five hundred thirty-Two home health care nurses in 29 countries. Measurements: A needs assessment, developed through literature review and cognitive interviewing. Results: Nurses from developing countries performed more duties compared with those from high-income countries, suggesting a lack of resources in developing countries. Significant barriers to providing home care exist: personnel shortages, lack of funding and policies, poor access to end-of-life or hospice services, and decreased community awareness of services provided. Respondents identified lack of time, funding, and coverages as primary educational barriers. In-person local meetings and online courses were suggested as strategies to promote learning. Conclusions: It is imperative that home health care nurses have adequate resources to build PC capacity globally, which is so desperately needed. Nurses must be up to date on current evidence and practice within an evidence-based PC framework. Health care policy to increase necessary resources and the development of a multifaceted intervention to facilitate education about PC is indicated to build global capacity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)945-960
Number of pages16
JournalJournal of Palliative Medicine
Volume22
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 1 2019
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • cancer
  • community
  • home health
  • nursing
  • palliative care

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Nursing
  • Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine

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