The professionally active nurses’ opinions on palliative care

Introduction: Palliative care is a specialized area of healthcare that focuses on relieving and preventing the suffering of patients.

Aim of the study was to assess the perceptions of palliative care among the professionally active nurses from Podlaskie province.

Material and methods: The study included 183 randomly selected the professionally active nurses, and we used in the original questionnaire survey.

Results: Palliative care is comprehensive care for terminally ill patients (82.5%), for terminally ill patients regardless of diagnosis (56.3%). The society has been paid insufficient attention to hospice (84.1%). Patients in hospice are under the professional care (60.7%). Patients (94.8%) and their family (91.5%) receive support, a smile and kindness - patient (81.52%), family (76.6%). The information provided to patients and family about the type of treatment (60.7%) is sufficient. The palliative care would have recommended 83.8% of respondents, but 51.2% suggested care at home. The biggest problems in palliative care include: lack of knowledge of family on dying patients (60.1%), low level of funding for hospices (54.1%) and a few number of hospices, and palliative care clinics (59.6%). Hospice staff should include: a doctor specializing in palliative medicine (76%), a nurse with a specialization or a course of palliative care (73.8%) and psychologist (72.7%). Almost 80% of respondents did not avoid talks with patients and their families on topics related to death. The priest is the most appropriate person to provide spiritual support (80.9%), a the most coveted religious practice – mass (61.2%), and a rosary (37.2%).

Conclusions: Palliative care is a comprehensive, professional care for terminally ill patients, and for terminally ill patients regardless of diagnosis. The society has been paid insufficient attention to palliative care. In the hospice should work doctors and nurses with a specialization or course in the field of palliative care. The priest and nurse are the most appropriate persons to provide spirituals care. The biggest problems in palliative care include: lack of knowledge of family on dying patients, a few numbers of hospices, and palliative care clinics and low level of funding for hospices.