Promoting dignified end-of-life care in the emergency department: a qualitative study

Díaz Cortés, Maria del Mar, Granero-Molina, José, Hernández-Padilla, José Manuel, Pérez Rodríguez, Rocío, Correa-Casado, Matías and Fernández-Sola, Cayetano (2018) Promoting dignified end-of-life care in the emergency department: a qualitative study. International Emergency Nursing, 37 . pp. 23-28. ISSN 1755-599X [Article] (doi:10.1016/j.ienj.2017.05.004)

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Abstract

Background: Preservation of a dying person’s dignity in the emergency department (ED) is fundamental for the patient, his/her relatives and healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to explore and interpret physicians’ and nurses’ experiences regarding conservation of dignity in end-of-life care in dying patients in the ED.

Methods: A qualitative study based on the hermeneutic phenomenological approach, was carried out in the emergency department of two general hospitals. A total of 16 nurses and 10 physicians participated in the study. Data collection included 12 individual in-depth interviews and 2 focus groups.

Results: The findings revealed that two themes represent the practices and proposals for the conservation of dignity in the emergency department: dignified care in hostile surroundings and the design of a system focused on the person’s dignity.

Conclusion: Dignifying treatment, redesigning environmental conditions, and reorienting the healthcare system can contribute to maintaining dignity in end-of-life care in the ED.

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