Date of Conferral
2015
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
School
Nursing
Advisor
Allison Terry
Abstract
The night shift environment in an inpatient hospice facility is unique in care and relegates challenging situations for the nursing staff. Using the Parse methodology, the purpose of this project was to explore the challenges faced by inpatient hospice facility night shift nursing staff in providing a continuum of care for dying patients and their families. Nine night shift hospice nurses participated in 45-60 minute interviews. The interviews were conducted in a hospice quiet room or a designated place of comfort for the participant, which allowed for dialogical engagement. The interviews were unstructured with open-ended questions about lived experiences. The interpretive phenomenological approach was used to understand positive outcomes and management involvement and developing positive morale. Descriptive coding was used to collect and analyze data. According to study findings, hospice night shift nursing staff were exposed to the stressors of dying patients, their families, a dissatisfied work environment, and their personal life. The core concepts addressed by the participants were feeling isolated and disrespected, staff development, and using coping strategies. Strong relationships through coping mechanisms were developed on the night shift, but the unmet issues of the staff were poorly regarded. The study perpetuates the need for further research in understanding the experiences of hospice night shift nursing staff and the changes needed to eliminate imminent night shift turnover.
Recommended Citation
Horton, Carolyn Dopson, "The Effects of the Night Shift on Nursing Staff of an Inpatient Hospice Facility" (2015). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 1705.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/1705
