End-of-Life Care in The Patient’s Home: Experiences of Nursing Staff Caring for Patients from the ethnic minorities in the United Kingdom

Background Providing end-of-life care in the patient’s home is challenging, especially if the nurse is from a different ethnic background from the patient. Evidence shows that Black, Asian Minority Ethnic background people often experience poorer end-of-life care due to care providers not understanding their care needs. Aim To describe the experiences of the United Kingdom nursing staff caring for community ethnic minorities patients at the end-of-life. Methods Using a qualitative descriptive approach, 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the data was thematically analysed. Findings Participants dealt with large tight-knit families, paternalism and controlling behaviours. There was mistrust of Western palliative medicine. Language barriers and challenges were faced by the nursing staff, resulting in difficult conversations with the families. Different levels of the nursing staff’s spiritual/cultural competencies were also identified. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the challenges. Conclusion This research has shed light on the challenges of individualising end-of-life care in a culturally diverse community in the United Kingdom. The nursing staff’s cultural/spiritual competencies were challenged.