The Spiritual Nature of Uncertainty Among Hospice Patients

Healthy Communities Research Institute, College of Nursing
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  3. The Spiritual Nature of Uncertainty Among Hospice Patients
Author(s)
Abstract
People with protracted and life-limiting illness engage in end-of-life transitions as they prepare for death. The end of life is a time of mystery that elicits uncertainties in the form of questions, worries, and doubts. If not managed properly, uncertainties can contribute to emotional distress and feelings of lost control. Currently, uncertainty occurring at the end of life is underresearched. Phenomenology was used to explore the experience of uncertainty for 6 hospice patients using semistructured interviews. A 4-member, interpretive team analyzed the data. The participants were asked to describe the uncertainties that they had while they were dying. Interestingly, most of the stories about uncertainty were spiritual in nature. An overall theme of uncertainty as a bridge'' emerged from the data as the way uncertainties affected their dying. Two subthemes of uncertainties about dying'' and uncertainties about important relationships'' also emerge as the areas of greatest concern for participants. These findings support uncertainty as an important phenomenon for people preparing for death and one that providers of end-of-life care should understand.
Format
Article
Identifier(s)
10.1097/NJH.0000000000000376
Publication Date
2017-10
Publication Title
Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing
Publisher
Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA)
Volume
19
Issue
5
First Page
480
Last Page
486
Keywords
Subject
Rights
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Community
Healthy Communities Research Institute
College of Nursing
Permalink https://oaks.kent.edu/hcri/spiritual-nature-uncertainty-among-hospice-patients
Stephenson, P., Sheehan, D., Hansen, D., & Mayo, M. (2017). The Spiritual Nature of Uncertainty Among Hospice Patients (1–). Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/NJH.0000000000000376
Stephenson, Pamela, Denice Sheehan, Dana Hansen, and M. Mayo. 2017. “The Spiritual Nature of Uncertainty Among Hospice Patients”. Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/NJH.0000000000000376.
Stephenson, Pamela, et al. The Spiritual Nature of Uncertainty Among Hospice Patients. Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing, Oct. 2017, https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/NJH.0000000000000376.