Facilities and difficulties of palliative care in neonatology: nurses’ experiences

Abstract

Objective: To learn the experiences of nurses in front of the facilities and difficulties for palliative care in neonatology. Method: A qualitative research was carried out with nurses in neonatal intensive care units. We used the methodological reference Discourse of the Collective Subject. Results: Eight central ideas (IC) emerged, grouped into three themes: Experiences of nurses in palliative care (IC1 End-of-life palliative care; IC2 Confronting palliative care and curative measures); Facilities for the implementation of neonatal palliative care (IC3 Knowledge and congruence in conduct); Difficulties of the team to perform palliative care (IC4 Importance in offering training; IC5 Gaps in the definition of criteria; IC6 Palliative versus curative decision-making; IC7 Communication of bad news; IC8 Inadequate environment). Conclusion: Nurses report differences in behavior and non-acceptance as barriers. However, they saw that the training and multidisciplinary discussions and the inclusion of the family can facilitate the implementation of palliative care in neonatology.