PSYCHOSOCIAL CHALLENGES EXPERIENCED BY PATIENTS AT TERMINAL STAGE OF ILLNESS AND THEIR PERCEPTION OF PALLIATIVE NURSING CARE IN TERTIARY HOSPITALS IN ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA

📄 Project Abstract

Terminal illness is the term used to describe disease conditions which progressively deteriorate and lead to the death of the patient. Such conditions include cancer and full blown AIDS, among others. The diagnosis of terminal illness in a person evokes lot of both physical and psychosocial challenges. The physical challenges are easily observable by healthcare-providers while subjective psychological challenges are scarcely unexplored. There is a dearth of research about the psychosocial challenges experienced by these patients. This study investigated the psychosocial challenges experienced by hospitalized cancer patients (stage III & IV) and their perception of palliative nursing care received in tertiary hospitals in Enugu State. The understanding of these psychosocial challenges experienced and expressed by these patients is crucial in effecting timely and appropriate palliative nursing care intervention. Descriptive phenomenological qualitative design was used which provided op...