Att vårda i livets slut

Sammanfattning: Background: Nurses have an important role in the care for patients who are at the end of life, as well as in the treatment of their relatives. End of life care is intended to alleviate suffering and preserve the person-centered care for the patient during the last period of life. Previous research highlights the importance of straight forward and honest communication, both between nurses, patients, relatives, and healthcare professionals. Patients and relatives experience the nurse as absent and avoiding conversations about death. Aim: To illuminate nurses' experiences of caring at the end of life. Method: A common literature review, where ten qualitative and two quantitative articles were analyzed. Results: Four themes were identified: The importance of knowledge and experience, Relationships and collaborations, The importance of Communication and a need of support for nurses. Common to the results of the articles was that the nurses felt emotionally affected when caring at the end of life. However, knowledge and good communication proved to contribute to a reduced risk of suffering from stress and fatigue. Conclusions: Education and support from colleagues, as well as good cooperation with relatives, contributed to the nurses being able to preserve the patient person-centered care. Through collaborations between healthcare professionals, the patient's wishes in end-of-life care could be met.