The Exodus: Exploring the Experiences of Palliative Care Nurse Practitioners During COVID-19
Abstract
This study explored the lived experiences of American palliative care nurse practitioners (NPs) who left their jobs due to pandemic-related stressors. The healthcare field has lost almost half a million workers since the COVID-19 pandemic began (Yong, 2021). Although the pandemic burdened palliative care teams (Finuf et al., 2021) and resulted in NPs navigating unique professional responsibilities, no studies have focused on factors that influenced palliative NPs to leave professional roles. The principal investigator interviewed 12 geographically diverse NPs (all female) who provided palliative care during the pandemic and left jobs because of pandemic-related stressors. The sample was recruited via social media and professional nursing organizations. NPs participated in semi-structured Zoom interviews, which assessed their work and personal experiences during the pandemic. Consensual qualitative research data analysis was conducted, which revealed general themes (found in all but one interview) indicating that participants experienced major changes in their working environments, anxiety about the pandemic and fear of contagion, lack of information and resources at their jobs, disconnection with their patients and co-workers, and physical and emotional burden. Participants reported that many issues reflected in these themes influenced them to exit their jobs, including changes in their working environments and physical and emotional burden, as well as lack of institutional support; others left work to set boundaries or reprioritize wellness. Several typical themes (found in more than half the interviews) were also identified, as were themes related to coping during the pandemic. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Subject Area
Counseling Psychology|Psychology|Nursing|Mental health
Recommended Citation
Haseltine, Brooke Louise, "The Exodus: Exploring the Experiences of Palliative Care Nurse Practitioners During COVID-19" (2024). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI31296807.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI31296807
