Symptom Distress, Need for Care, and Nursing Care Received in Hospitalized Palliative Care Patients

Abstract

Objective: To determine levels of symptom distress, need for care, and perceived nursing care received among hospitalized palliative care patients, both at admission and discharge. We also aimed to compare symptom distress at admission with that at discharge, and compare the need for care and the perceived care received both at admission and at discharge. Methods: A sample of 90 palliative care patients at a community hospital in Lopburi province was recruited using the time frame sampling. The interview questionnaires on symptom distress, needs for care, and perceived care received with the commensurate dimensions suggested by the concepts of Need-supplies Fit and the Perception of Symptom were created. The Content Validity Index for each of all parts was 0.83 and Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were 0.76 0.77 and 0.75, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t-test. Results: At admission, the mean scores symptom distress, the needs for care, and the perceived care received were 3.40, 3.63 and 3.74 points, respectively; while those at discharge were 0.39, 0.42 and 0.44 points, respectively. The overall mean scores of symptom distress at admission was significantly higher than that at discharge (P–value < 0.001). The scores of the need for care were higher than those of the perceived care received both at admission (P–value = 0.011) 4) and at discharge (P–value = 0.005). Conclusion: Symptom distress, the need for care, and the perceived nursing care received among hospitalized palliative care patients were decreased from admission to discharge. The scores of the need for care were lower than those of the perceived care received both at admission and at discharge. Nurse could evaluate the symptom distress, the need for care, and the perceived nursing care received among hospitalized palliative care patients in their regular practice. Keywords: symptom distress, needs of care, received nursing care, hospitalized palliative care patients