Palliative care nurses’ experiences of stress, anxiety, and burnout: A thematic synthesis

This systematic literature review aimed to critically appraise empirical evidence investigating palliative care (PC) nurses' experiences of stress, anxiety, and burnout. Six databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL, PubMed, and Web of Science) covering literature within psychology, medicine...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Palliative & supportive care Vol. 21; no. 3; pp. 498 - 514
Main Authors: Clayton, Malcolm, Marczak, Magda
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England Cambridge University Press 01.06.2023
Subjects:
Anxiety
Anxiety - epidemiology
Burnout
Burnout, Professional - epidemiology
Caregivers
Case studies
Coping
Data analysis
Data collection
Focus groups
Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing
Humans
Keywords
Literature reviews
Medical personnel
Mental disorders
Mental health
Mixed methods research
Nurses
Nurses - psychology
Nursing
Observational studies
Palliative care
Prevalence
Professionals
Qualitative research
Questionnaires
Stress
Stress, Psychological - epidemiology
Systematic review
Palliative care
Anxiety
Burnout
Nurses
Stress
ISSN:1478-9515, 1478-9523, 1478-9523
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:This systematic literature review aimed to critically appraise empirical evidence investigating palliative care (PC) nurses' experiences of stress, anxiety, and burnout. Six databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL, PubMed, and Web of Science) covering literature within psychology, medicine and healthcare, and social sciences were searched from inception until December 2020. Studies were eligible if they included qualitative literature reporting on experiences of nurses working in a PC setting of stress, anxiety, or burnout, and were published in English. Eighteen studies satisfied the review's inclusion criteria and were considered relevant to the review aims. Critical appraisal was undertaken using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Qualitative Checklist. Thematic synthesis identified three main themes: , , and . The findings suggested that stress, anxiety, and burnout are deeply personal feelings experienced by nurses both on an emotional and physical level. Additionally, PC nurses' experiences can differ in meaning and strength depending on their relationships with patients, patients' families, and colleagues. The synthesis highlighted that PC nurses' experiences are complex, encompassing clinical and organizational challenges, and the personal impact their work has on them. Having a greater understanding of the factors that contribute to PC nurses' experiences may help in PC nurses' core training and continuing professional education, as well as the provision of effective supervision and staff support.
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ISSN:1478-9515
1478-9523
1478-9523
DOI:10.1017/S147895152200058X