Compassion and care at the end of life: oncology nurses' experiences in South-East Iran.

Background: End of life (EOL) care is newly established in the Iranian context. Context, in this case, refers to the internal and external manifestation of the nurse values, norms and experiences that are learnt throughout life. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore nurses' experiences of caring for dying patients in Iran. Methods: A phenomenological hermeneutic approach, influenced by the philosophy of Ricoeur, was used to analyse 10 oncology nurses' experiences of caring for dying persons. Findings: Three themes emerged from the analysis: 1) seeing the patient as unique person, 2) being present and open to seeing patients as unique persons and 3) personal and professional development as a result of closeness between nurse and patient. Caring for dying persons means assisting them at the end of their lives. Conclusion: Caring relationships underlie professional palliative care and are essential in EOL care. Proper palliative education and professionally led supervision should be included in the Iranian nursing curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]