Mutual suffering: A nurse's story of caring for the living as they are dying

Abstract

The aim of this study was to uncover the meaning of the lived experience of mutual suffering in relation to the care of a dying patient. The study took place within an acute medical ward in a district general hospital on the south coast of England as part of a reflective practice development programme. Parse's human becoming theory provided a framework for the study and Parse's research methodology was adopted. Understanding the nature of human relationships within nursing practice is central to nursing work, enabling patients and their health-professional carers to live and work healthily in the context of human becoming. Illuminating mutual suffering through reflection enables nursing and health-care professionals to acknowledge the paradoxes of practice and, thus, create new strategies for the provision of care and the improvement of practice, so that quality of life is maximized for the patient and for themselves.

The Transformation Process in Nurses Caring for Dying Patients

“…As highlighted in previous studies, caring for a dying patient not only involves facing the distress of others but also evokes personal memories of losing family members (Graham et al, 2005). In addition, nurses often feel discomfort or emotional suffering because they do not know how to care for those in the process of dying (Graham et al, 2005), and these emotional stressors have been reported as value conflicts, lack of emotional support, and dealing with patient and family suffering (Ge´linas et al, 2012).…”

“…In addition, nurses often feel discomfort or emotional suffering because they do not know how to care for those in the process of dying (Graham et al, 2005), and these emotional stressors have been reported as value conflicts, lack of emotional support, and dealing with patient and family suffering (Ge´linas et al, 2012). In this study, participants often experienced healing through caring for patients or dealing with their own unfinished business and through participating in the funeral and memorial services of patients.…”

“…Furthermore, participating in reflective groups enabled nurses to ''free up'' their thinking regarding themselves and their work (Graham et al, 2005) and guided nurses to free themselves from negative emotional cycles, enabling a distinction to be made between the emotions of the self and of others, which facilitates the development of empathetic relationship with others and allows the daily lives of others to be better managed by the inner self (Donohoe, 2004). Watts, Botti, and Hunter (2010) reported that factors including frustration, inability to take care of oneself, inadequate communication, and anger hinder the ability of oncology nurses to provide psychological support and prevent them from building relationships with dying patients.…”

“…All of the participants shared that they had experienced being rejected by patients and suppressing their own emotions when facing the stress of caring for dying patients (Chiang, 2006;Graham, Andrewes, & Clark, 2005). Lucy (aged 31 years, BSN, 3 years and 5 months of hospice care experience) described a patient in a poor mood with little or no communication.…”

Being altered by the unexpected: Understanding the perioperative patient's experience: A case study

“…A welcoming caring culture allows suffering human beings the right to become and be patients, as well as making it possible for them to acknowledge suffering and obtain alleviation . Graham et al . illuminated mutual suffering as a situation and process of learning about others and oneself.…”