Protecting the wellbeing of nurses providing end-of-life care

Caring for the rising numbers of patients dying in hospital increases the emotional labour of nurses, and requires coping techniques to manage stress and avoid burnout. This article comes with a handout for a journal club discussion


Abstract
Caring for people is stressful, even for health professionals. Their support needs can be neglected, especially when they are focused on providing patient-centred care. A rise in the number of people who are dying in hospitals and hospices rather than at home is increasing the emotional labour of staff, particularly nurses, who are already coping with increased NHS pressures. How do health professionals – who are trained to save lives and restore health – cope when tending for people who will die in their care? This article discusses issues around work-related stress in delivering high-quality patient care. It looks at what staff and organisations can do to manage stress and avoid burnout, particularly in caring for patients who are dying, including highlighting the role of the hospital chaplaincy as a resource for all staff, be they religious or secular.

Citation: Cedar SH, Walker G (2020) Protecting the wellbeing of nurses providing end-of-life care. Nursing Times [online]; 116: 2, 36-40.

Authors: SH Cedar is academic lead postgraduate studies, Department of Spiritual Health Care, Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust; Gavin Walker is former lecturer, School of Health and Social Care, London South Bank University.
This article has been double-blind peer reviewed
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