Chang-Hsiung Tsai
Nanhua University, Taiwan
Title: An exploration of the psycho-spiritual treatment of senior hospice nurses based on their embodied knowledge of care
Biography
Biography: Chang-Hsiung Tsai
Abstract
The psycho-spiritual dimension of dying patients in hospice ward has been an emphasis of care based on the holistic model adopted by hospice. However, it is considered a rather tough part or even maybe the critical core of hospice care. This research is thus aimed to explore the psycho-spiritual treatment of senior hospice nurses based on their embodied knowledge of care. The main concern of this design has to do with the valuable experience of care of senior nurses that can be passed down to those hospice nurses with less experience. Due to the embodied nature of nurses’ care experience, this qualitative research adopted hermeneutic-phenomenology as the guiding method during the entire research process. Through purposive sampling, 12 senior hospice nurses were recruited as research participants from three hospitals (north, central, and south) renowned for their hospice care programs in Taiwan. Semi-structured depth-interviews were conducted to form the narrative texts. The texts were then analyzed via a reciprocally interpretive circle between units of meaning, sub-themes and main themes. The results were synthesized as the following four themes, indicating the senior nurses’ characteristic psycho-spiritual treatment for terminal patients; respecting individuality, proceeding indirectly, conducting life review and touching existential dilemma. As a result, the psycho-spiritual treatment of nurses to the dying patients was grasped by way of nurses’ embodied knowledge based on their clinical experience. It helps establish an embodied knowledge basis from which both hospice clinical teaching and school education for better nursing can be benefited.