Palliative Care in Humanitarian Settings: Insights from Nurses on Experiences, Challenges, and Support Needs
Acquah, Maria (2024)
2024
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024120833710
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024120833710
Tiivistelmä
The purpose of this study was to explore awareness, attitudes, barriers and knowledge of humanitarian aid nurses on palliative care in humanitarian aid situations. The study aims to bring awareness to this very current matter in global health. The objective was to find out what kind of support healthcare workers need in experiencing moral distress in caring for dying patients and how well-prepared healthcare workers were for palliative care situations. The research focused on knowledge and attitudes of palliative care in humanitarian aid work.
The framework of this study was built by providing background information of palliative care in humanitarian aid and familiarizing with the current guidelines. Palliative care in humanitarian aid is a crucial but often overlooked aspect. Humanitarian aid is guided by the principles of saving lives and alleviating suffering. These principles aim to provide immediate relief while supporting long-term well-being for those affected by crises. Based on literature, quality palliative care continues to be minimal in low- and middle-income countries.
The thesis was implemented as a qualitative study. The data was collected by an interview survey, which was distributed as a link to an electronic form, built with an online survey tool. The survey took place in October 2024. The survey used snowball sampling to reach humanitarian aid nurses. The saturation point was met when thirteen nurses had answered the survey. The data from the survey was analyzed using thematic analysis in an inductive way. Four main themes were identified through the data: guidelines and education; sufficient resources; cultural awareness; and ethical considerations.
The results indicate that there is a need for better palliative care guidance for humanitarian aid nurses. Even though the nurses were familiar with palliative care, it was still very challenging to implement it in a humanitarian setting. This was a result of limited resources and contextual challenges. International and local health workers were either not aware of the guidelines or held differing attitudes towards palliative care. Ethical matters were also raised in the data. It is difficult to decide who the care should be provided for in a limited resource setting. The goal of lifesaving took priority during humanitarian crises. Knowledge of the local culture in end-of-life, dying, burial and grieving were found to be important in planning palliative care.
This thesis provides information for humanitarian aid organizations on the importance of providing palliative care education prior to a mission. This thesis also spreads awareness regarding palliative care in humanitarian aid. Palliative care is one of the Sphere minimum standards. Based on this study, palliative care is still very hidden during crisis and conflict situations. It is a global effort to improve, educate, and advocate palliative care.
Keywords: palliative care, end-of-life care, humanitarian aid, nurse
The framework of this study was built by providing background information of palliative care in humanitarian aid and familiarizing with the current guidelines. Palliative care in humanitarian aid is a crucial but often overlooked aspect. Humanitarian aid is guided by the principles of saving lives and alleviating suffering. These principles aim to provide immediate relief while supporting long-term well-being for those affected by crises. Based on literature, quality palliative care continues to be minimal in low- and middle-income countries.
The thesis was implemented as a qualitative study. The data was collected by an interview survey, which was distributed as a link to an electronic form, built with an online survey tool. The survey took place in October 2024. The survey used snowball sampling to reach humanitarian aid nurses. The saturation point was met when thirteen nurses had answered the survey. The data from the survey was analyzed using thematic analysis in an inductive way. Four main themes were identified through the data: guidelines and education; sufficient resources; cultural awareness; and ethical considerations.
The results indicate that there is a need for better palliative care guidance for humanitarian aid nurses. Even though the nurses were familiar with palliative care, it was still very challenging to implement it in a humanitarian setting. This was a result of limited resources and contextual challenges. International and local health workers were either not aware of the guidelines or held differing attitudes towards palliative care. Ethical matters were also raised in the data. It is difficult to decide who the care should be provided for in a limited resource setting. The goal of lifesaving took priority during humanitarian crises. Knowledge of the local culture in end-of-life, dying, burial and grieving were found to be important in planning palliative care.
This thesis provides information for humanitarian aid organizations on the importance of providing palliative care education prior to a mission. This thesis also spreads awareness regarding palliative care in humanitarian aid. Palliative care is one of the Sphere minimum standards. Based on this study, palliative care is still very hidden during crisis and conflict situations. It is a global effort to improve, educate, and advocate palliative care.
Keywords: palliative care, end-of-life care, humanitarian aid, nurse