Caring desiring spiritual peace: actancial qualitative analysis of personal narratives of nurses attending terminal phase

Abstract

Introduction: The facing of death and the dying process is seen as a transit process, socioculturally determined. To die has implications for the patient and his/her family, but also for the nursery personnel and there is not any investigation approaching the experience of this, from a phenomenological qualitative focus. Objective: To know and understand the narrative structure by the description of their experience when they provide care to final stage patients. Material and Methods: Qualitative study, by means of semiotic actantial greimasian analysis from narratives obtained by deep interviews from 4 bachelor nurses from a second level hospital in Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico. From the ethic perspective the study was without any risk, informed consent was sought and it was developed according to the ethical principles. Results: Argumentative structure of a “tragic drama” from the existence was identified. The most important actants (entities or forces that play a role in the narrative): nurse, God, death and patient. The core categories that defines the being as nurse were to know, to be and to do. An actantial scheme was made according to the roles or functions: Object (what is sought), Opponent (which blocks to find the object), Auxiliary (that facilitate to find what is sought), Receiver (who owns or which oversees the acquisition of the object), and Addressee (who bears the benefit of the object). Discussion: The traces allow to establish that the desired object of the patient “good death” is actually obtained, but not the one of the own spiritual peace. There are lacks in knowledge about thanatological and philosophical dilemma and of values in definition and job training. They do not get recognition nor support in the face of the compliance of the mission to confront this in a healthy way. Conclusion: Urgent analysis and infirmary principles reformulation, to incorporate thanatology in curricula and recognition of the value an importance of the nursery care in the final stage for continuous improvement in health services.

Keywords

• investigación cualitativa
• narrativas personales
• enfermería de cuidados paliativos al final de la vida