Gaining insight into the care of hospitalized dying patients: An interpretative narrative analysis

Joseph J. Fins; Rebecca Schwager Guest; Cathleen A. Acres

doi:10.1016/S0885-3924(00)00220-7

Gaining insight into the care of hospitalized dying patients: An interpretative narrative analysis

Joseph J. Fins, Rebecca Schwager Guest, Cathleen A. Acres

Houston Methodist

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

22 Scopus citations

Abstract

Narrative ethics is a useful tool for gaining insight into the care of hospitalized dying patients. We used narrative analysis to interpret the medical records of 200 adult deaths at our institution. Prominent subjects which emerged from this review include documentation of care; relationships between patients, families and clinicians; and the influence of time, uncertainty, ambiguity, resource allocation, and spirituality on the course of care. Research on narratives can help script more empathic and compassionate care of the dying by demonstrating that every death is a story waiting to be told. Copyright (C) 2000 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	399-407
Number of pages	9
Journal	Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
Volume	20
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0885-3924(00)00220-7
State	Published - 2000

Keywords

End-of-life decisions
Medical anthropology
Narrative ethics

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
Clinical Neurology
Neurology
General Nursing

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10.1016/S0885-3924(00)00220-7

Cite this

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title = "Gaining insight into the care of hospitalized dying patients: An interpretative narrative analysis",

abstract = "Narrative ethics is a useful tool for gaining insight into the care of hospitalized dying patients. We used narrative analysis to interpret the medical records of 200 adult deaths at our institution. Prominent subjects which emerged from this review include documentation of care; relationships between patients, families and clinicians; and the influence of time, uncertainty, ambiguity, resource allocation, and spirituality on the course of care. Research on narratives can help script more empathic and compassionate care of the dying by demonstrating that every death is a story waiting to be told. Copyright (C) 2000 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee.",

keywords = "End-of-life decisions, Medical anthropology, Narrative ethics",

author = "Fins, \{Joseph J.\} and Guest, \{Rebecca Schwager\} and Acres, \{Cathleen A.\}",

note = "Funding Information: Work on this research project was supported by a Project on Death in America, Open Society Institute Faculty Scholar Award to Dr. Fins, with additional funding from The United Hospital Fund and New York Presbyterian Hospital. The authors acknowledge the narrative contributions of Lynn Huzzard, RN, BSN and the comments of Sam Beck, PhD, Hilde Lindemann Nelson, MA, and Tod Chambers, PhD on earlier versions of this manuscript.",

year = "2000",

doi = "10.1016/S0885-3924(00)00220-7",

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pages = "399--407",

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T1 - Gaining insight into the care of hospitalized dying patients

T2 - An interpretative narrative analysis

AU - Fins, Joseph J.

AU - Guest, Rebecca Schwager

AU - Acres, Cathleen A.

N1 - Funding Information: Work on this research project was supported by a Project on Death in America, Open Society Institute Faculty Scholar Award to Dr. Fins, with additional funding from The United Hospital Fund and New York Presbyterian Hospital. The authors acknowledge the narrative contributions of Lynn Huzzard, RN, BSN and the comments of Sam Beck, PhD, Hilde Lindemann Nelson, MA, and Tod Chambers, PhD on earlier versions of this manuscript.

PY - 2000

Y1 - 2000

N2 - Narrative ethics is a useful tool for gaining insight into the care of hospitalized dying patients. We used narrative analysis to interpret the medical records of 200 adult deaths at our institution. Prominent subjects which emerged from this review include documentation of care; relationships between patients, families and clinicians; and the influence of time, uncertainty, ambiguity, resource allocation, and spirituality on the course of care. Research on narratives can help script more empathic and compassionate care of the dying by demonstrating that every death is a story waiting to be told. Copyright (C) 2000 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee.

AB - Narrative ethics is a useful tool for gaining insight into the care of hospitalized dying patients. We used narrative analysis to interpret the medical records of 200 adult deaths at our institution. Prominent subjects which emerged from this review include documentation of care; relationships between patients, families and clinicians; and the influence of time, uncertainty, ambiguity, resource allocation, and spirituality on the course of care. Research on narratives can help script more empathic and compassionate care of the dying by demonstrating that every death is a story waiting to be told. Copyright (C) 2000 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee.

KW - End-of-life decisions

KW - Medical anthropology

KW - Narrative ethics

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U2 - 10.1016/S0885-3924(00)00220-7

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AN - SCOPUS:0033709796

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JO - Journal of Pain and Symptom Management

JF - Journal of Pain and Symptom Management

IS - 6

ER -

Gaining insight into the care of hospitalized dying patients: An interpretative narrative analysis

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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