The emotional impact of nursing : identifying issues and supporting staff

These publications relate to the emotional impact of nursing and result from three separate empirical studies conducted during the years 2002 to 2016, in the UK. Each study was qualitative, specifically using phenomenology to investigate the lived experiences of staff working in healthcare. Eight publications are included in this submission. Four journal articles report on aspects of two studies, three review the relevant literature and the final publication is a book developed from one of the studies. Two studies specifically focus on the experiences of nursing staff; the 2002 study focussed on their experience of shiftwork and the 2014 study explored nursing staff responses to patient death. The third empirical study involved a range of healthcare staff, patients and carers and was an evaluation of a hospice at home service. The contribution to knowledge includes: Identification of the social and emotional issues of working shifts, providing advice and guidance for managers of this aspect of nursing work The exploration of specific needs of nursing staff in response to patient death in terms of education and support. This resulted in curriculum changes in nurse education to cover a range of issues including grief reactions, disenfranchised grief, emotional intelligence and professional socialisation. The book was developed as a result to provide an accessible handbook for health and social care staff working with those at the end of life and their bereaved family and friends in a range of settings. A methodology using focus groups with a range of stakeholders was developed for the evaluation of a hospice at home service. This has been recommended as the preferred model for evaluations by the hospice at home association. The range of stakeholders contributing was wider than in previous studies. From the evaluation, further funding and an extension to the service was secured by the organisation.