Caring for Patients With Intractable Neurological Diseases

This is a qualitative descriptive study examining nurses’ attitudes about caring for patients with intractable neurological diseases, with a focus on dedication and conflicts. Semistructured interviews were conducted on 11 nurses with more than 5 years of clinical experience in addition to more than 3 years of experience in neurology wards. Senior nursing officers from each hospital selected the participants. In general, these nurses expressed distress over the inevitable progression of disease. Nurses talked about the “basis of dedication,†“conflicts with dedication,†“reorganization for maintaining dedication,†and “the reason for the change from conflict to commitment.†“Reorganization for maintaining dedication†meant that nurses were able to handle the prospect of rededicating themselves to their patients. Furthermore, “the reason for the change from conflict to commitment†referred to events that changed nurses’ outlooks on nursing care, their pride as nurses, or their learning experiences. They felt dedicated and conflicted both simultaneously and separately. While committing to their patients’ physical care, nurses were empowered to think positively and treat patients with dignity in spite of the care taking much time and effort, as well as entailing considerable risk.