District nurses’ perceptions of palliative care services: part 1

Abstract

The Campbell report, Cancer Services: Investing for the Future (Department of Health and Social Services, 1996) suggests that the current provision for palliative care in Northern Ireland is ‘patchy’ and has developed in an ‘uncoordinated manner’. Taking this into consideration, a study was undertaken to investigate and evaluate district nurses’ perceptions of palliative care services within a small community trust in Northern Ireland. The objectives of the study were to assess district nurses’ understanding of the term ‘palliative care’, their perception of both their role and the role of other community professionals in palliative care, and to help identify current patterns and gaps in service provision. The study adopted a two-staged approach to the research. This article focuses on the data obtained from the first stage of the study which was designed to obtain information and identify key themes to assist in the development of a questionnaire for the second stage of the study. It involved conducting a number of focus groups with district nursing sisters in the community. The nurses who participated in the focus groups acknowledged the important role they play in coordinating patient care, providing support and developing interpersonal relationships with patients and carers.