Meaning in life of older adults in daily care: A qualitative analysis of participant observations of home nursing visits.
Susan Hupkens, Marleen Goumans, Peter Derkx and 3 others
PMID 30972866WHAT IT FOUND
In home nursing visits, meaning in life was visible in ordinary moments: entering homes, greeting, personal care, and conversation.
Nurses could notice older adults' values, relationships, and concerns during routine care.
Key findings
01Analysis of 197 nursing visits found that older adults' meaning in life came to light in four everyday themes: private environment, nurse-patient encounter, personal care, and conversation.
02Small talk during personal care could develop into conversation about existential issues, life stories, family, plans, and worries.
03Nurses were observed showing respect and connection by letting patients choose clothing and care, using gentle touch, and listening, asking, or silence.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The researchers observed single visits, so they could not fully see the longer nurse-patient relationship. Nurses and patients may have behaved differently because they were being watched. The findings are based on what observers saw, not on interviews that directly captured patients' or nurses' own voices. Home nursing teams were purposefully selected and nurses were convenience samples, so the settings may not represent all home nursing care.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that nurses who notice meaning in life improve older adults' health or well-being. It is a qualitative observation of home nursing visits, not a trial of an intervention.