Terminal Care Performance of Nurses Caring for COVID-19 Patients: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study.

Publication date: Dec 01, 2024

To identify the effects of moral distress and terminal care stress on the terminal care performance of nurses who cared for COVID-19 patients. This study was cross-sectional descriptive research. Using a convenience sampling method from June to October 2022, nurses who provided terminal care for COVID-19 patients in a Korean tertiary hospital within the last 6 months from the time of the study were selected as participants. Socio-demographic and work characteristics of the participants were collected, and COVID-19 moral distress, terminal care stress and terminal care performance were assessed. A total of 140 self-report questionnaires were distributed and returned (response rate: 100%). In the terminal care performance, it was found that nurses performed relatively well in the physical area, but less well in the emotional and spiritual areas. Moral distress and terminal care stress were both positively correlated with terminal care performance for nurses who cared for COVID-19 patients. The predictors of terminal care performance were moral distress (β = 0. 27, p = 0. 003), gender (β = 0. 20, p = 0. 015) and experience in a dedicated COVID-19 unit (β = 0. 22, p = 0. 020). The study identified moral distress as the most significant factor influencing terminal care performance among nurses caring for COVID-19 patients. To enhance terminal care performance, it is crucial to address moral distress and provide clear guidelines and support, especially in the emotional and spiritual care domains. Future research should explore additional factors that may influence terminal care performance in pandemic situations. No patient or public contribution.

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Concepts Keywords
June Adult
Korean COVID-19
Nurses COVID‐19
Pandemic Cross-Sectional Studies
descriptive research
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
moral distress
nurses
Nursing Staff, Hospital
performance
Republic of Korea
SARS-CoV-2
stress
Stress, Psychological
Surveys and Questionnaires
Terminal Care
terminal care

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease MESH COVID-19
disease MESH infection
drug DRUGBANK Etoperidone
disease IDO process
disease MESH death
disease MESH loneliness
disease MESH infectious diseases
disease MESH syndrome
disease MESH influenza
pathway REACTOME Infectious disease
disease IDO infectious disease
disease MESH emerging infectious diseases
drug DRUGBANK Coenzyme M
disease MESH marital status
disease MESH educational level
disease IDO site
pathway REACTOME Translation
drug DRUGBANK Methionine
disease MESH care Burden
disease MESH anxiety
disease MESH depression
disease MESH Pressure Injuries
disease MESH Burnout
pathway KEGG Coronavirus disease
disease MESH Moral Injury
disease IDO symptom
disease MESH Stress Psychological

Original Article

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