Table 2 Overview of the questions posed during the interviews
Demographic data | How old are you, and how many years have you been working as a nurse? |
How many years of experience do you have working in a nursing home and providing end-of-life care to nursing home residents? | |
Opening questions | Can you please describe the most recent ethical dilemma you have encountered in your line of work? |
Can you please describe a situation in which you have used your professional autonomy here in nursing home in an end-of-life care situation that you perceived it as ethically challenging? | |
Main questions posed during the interview | In your opinion, what is an ethical dilemma/problem associated with end-of life care? |
In your opinion, what are the ethical challenges faced by nurses in administration of end-of-life care to nursing home residents? | |
Can you please provide some examples of the ethical challenges faced by nurses when there is a conflict between resident or/and next-of-kin over termination of life-prolonging or active medication by the doctor? | |
What are the ethical challenges for nurses associated with the introduction of end-of-life medication (Morphine, Midazolam/Versed, Haloperidol and Glycopyrrolate/Robinul) by the doctor? | |
In your opinion, what is the ethical way for nurses to exercise their professional autonomy in the administration of end-of-life care to nursing home residents? | |
In your opinion, how do you define moral distress, and can you please, provide an example of a situation when you experienced moral distress? | |
Follow-up questions | Follow-up questions included how frequently such ethical dilemmas arose; whether the dilemma was resolved, if not and why not; if barriers existed to resolving dilemmas; and what resources the nurses used for resolving ethical dilemmas, for example, the importance of building a trusting relationship with resident and their next-of-kin; how end-of-life ethical competence can be improved in nursing homes, and what type of on-the-job ethical training would improve end-of-life care in nursing homes. |