Stress Factors of Nurses Working in Specialized Palliative Care - Results of a Qualitative Study

Background There is no empirical study and no survey instrument available for Germany, in which data was collected to the burden of nurses working in specialized palliative care in the palliative ward, the inpatient hospice and the specialized outpatient palliative care. The aim of the study was to explore the burden of nurses working in the palliative care in Germany. Methods 10 guided interviews were conducted with different professionals in this field and analysed by the qualitative content analysis. Results The following aspects were reported: Stress occurs due to inadequate availability of the specialized outpatient palliative care in Rhineland-Palatinate. Moreover, stressors arise out of the support of relatives and out of the time-consuming process of the information exchange with other staff. Furthermore, physical stress was mentioned. Discussion The interviews revealed stressors, which were not or insufficiently analysed in previous studies. In addition to mental stress, physical stress has to be considered in future studies.