Thesis
What are the lived experiences of Registered Nurses providing end-of-life care to adults in community hospices in Queensland?
University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Master of Science, University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25907/00930
Abstract
Background: The terms hospice and palliative care are interchangeable in Australia which has led to misuse and misunderstanding with contradictions in terminology. No single definition of hospice care exists in Australia. Hospice and palliative care and end-of-life care are used interchangeably within palliative care. Palliative care may be provided at any stage of illness and may include continuing treatment for illness. Hospice care provides person-centred, holistic, end-of-life care at home or another place of choice. Hospices offer a different care pathway to that provided in hospitals or palliative care units, with strong links to communities through engagement and capacity building. Both hospice and palliative care aim to improve quality of life for those with a life-limiting illness. This research project seeks to answer the following questions: Who are the Registered Nurses (RNs) working in community hospices and what are their experiences of providing palliative and end-of-life care?
There are now ten community hospices in southeast Queensland. The Australian Government has expanded palliative and end-of-life services, and the Queensland Government has increased funding of $171 million from 2021-2022 to 2025-2026 to increase and strengthen services that assist patients to die at home, or within their community. Increased investment in community-based services aims to meet local needs with hospices providing specialist palliative care support within the communities they serve. This research project provides support for the strategy identifying the benefits of such models of care including care provision and cost effectiveness.
The National Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care Information Priorities highlights the need to evaluate professionals’ attraction to work in palliative care, how they are supported, their job satisfaction and why they leave their profession. This research project provides supporting evidence to identify what and where support may be required to attain and retain RNs within palliative care.
Aims: This study aims to provide an in-depth examination of RNs’ experiences of working in community hospices providing palliative and end-of-life care in Queensland.
Details
- Title
- What are the lived experiences of Registered Nurses providing end-of-life care to adults in community hospices in Queensland?
- Authors
- Nicolette Bannink - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Healthy Ageing Research Cluster
- Contributors
- John Rosenberg (Principal Supervisor) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Healthy Ageing Research ClusterApil Gurung (Co-Supervisor) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Healthy Ageing Research Cluster
- Awarding institution
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Degree awarded
- Master of Science
- Publisher
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- DOI
- 10.25907/00930
- Organisation Unit
- School of Health
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991131906002621
- Output Type
- Thesis
Metrics
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