Enriching the Clinician EOL Experience
The implementation of the 3WP produced several benefits for clinicians
as well by fostering collaboration and increasing job satisfaction.
Since the 3WP incorporated multiple disciplines from spiritual care to
social work, the project connected individuals who would not have
originally worked together within the context of EOL care. A nurse
reflected that, “what I valued the most out of it was the
interdisciplinary teamwork. It’s not a project that is just for the
nurses, or just for the doctors. It’s everybody who works at the
hospital even beyond the ICU and the community…everybody just
coming together to help the patients and the families together.”
[P6 ] The project facilitated bonding within the unit as
staff worked as a team towards a common goal of understanding what
matters most to patients. Some observed an increase in nurse-physician
collaboration in incorporating the 3WP in EOL care. Another nurse stated
that, “I just valued the camaraderie of our unit sort of coming
together and recognizing how pivotal this moment is in our patients’
lives.” [P10 ]
Many participants reported that the project was rewarding as it offered
a larger sense of purpose. One participant explained that it
“[felt] like you’re building something a bit bigger than yourself,
you’re contributing to something.” [P4 ] The project
allowed clinicians to connect and care for patients and families, when
medical interventions may have become futile. A nurse shared that,
“this is something tangible that you can do to give to people and feel
like you are not just left without helping them in some
capacity…this lets us help people but just in a different way.”
[P6 ] Another nurse expressed, “it honestly made me feel
proud to make change here in the ICU…proud of my coworkers, proud
that we could get it up and running.” [P3 ] The adoption of
this patient-centred project empowered clinicians with the resources to
provide meaningful and quality EOL care, and reportedly improved job
satisfaction.