Lived experience of nurses providing hospice nursing for cancer patients：qualitative research

Objective To understand and describe the real experience of the nurses who had provided hospice care for cancer patients in a deep way .Methods By means of qualitative research , eleven registered nurses who had provided hospice care for cancer patients from two top three hospitals were investigated forin -depth individual interviews , using Colaizzi ’ s seven-step analysis .Results The nurses experienced mood changes such as stress, fear,helplessness,and sympathy, when they were providing hospice care for cancer patients.They hold different opinions on hospice care for cancer patients , which affected their values of professional career and life .Conclusions It is necessary to offer nurses extensive and on-going education and emotional support , so that they can have a better understanding of how to provide hospice care for cancer patients, and be more optimistic and rational to face death . Key words: Nurses; Cancer; Hospice nursing; Lived experiences; Qualitative research