Professionals’ Expectations and Preparedness to Implement Knowledge-Based Palliative Care at Nursing Homes before an Educational Intervention: A Focus Group Interview Study

• Main Authors: Helene Åvik Persson, Gerd Ahlström, Anna Ekwall
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-08-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: educational intervention; nursing home; palliative care; attitude of health personnel
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/17/8977
• ISSN: 1661-7827; 1660-4601

The provision of knowledge-based palliative care is rare in nursing homes. There are obstacles to practically performing this because it can be difficult to identify when the final stage of life begins for older persons. Educational interventions in palliative care in nursing homes are a challenge, and joint efforts are needed in an organisation, including preparedness. The aim was to explore professionals’ expectations and preparedness to implement knowledge-based palliative care in nursing homes before an educational intervention. This study has a qualitative focus group design, and a total of 48 professionals working in nursing homes were interviewed with a semi-structured interview guide. Qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach was used for the analysis. One major theme was identified: professionals were hopeful yet doubtful about the organisation’s readiness. The main categories of increased knowledge, consensus in the team, and a vision for the future illustrate the hopefulness, while insufficient resources and prioritisation illustrate the doubts about the organisation’s readiness. This study contributes valuable knowledge about professionals’ expectations and preparedness, which are essential for researchers to consider in the planning phase of an implementation study. The successful implementation of changes needs to involve strategies that circumvent the identified obstacles to organisations’ readiness.