Determination of problems of patients and relatives receiving palliative care

This research was conducted in a qualitative study design in order to determine the problems of patients and relatives receiving palliative care. The universe of the study consisted of patients and their relatives in the palliative care service at Niğde Ömer Halisdemir Training and Research Hospital. The sample of the study consisted of 10 patients and 10 relatives of patients, and ethics committee approval, institutional permission and written consent were obtained from the participants. The research data were collected by the researcher using the patient and relative Socio-demographic Characteristics Introduction Form, Structured Patient and Relative Problems Form, and Informed Voluntary Consent Form through face-to-face interviews between December 2022 and October 2023. In addition, the research was conducted using the qualitative in-depth interview method, and the written transcription of the voice recordings of de-identified patients and relatives was used as the data set. The data of the research were analyzed with the MAXQDA 2020 program using content analysis. In order to better answer the research questions of the thesis study, the raw data obtained from the research were coded by the researcher and the thesis advisor, categories were reached from the codes, and the codes, categories, and themes were arranged in accordance with the purpose of the research through repeated interviews. Thus, the inductive method was used to reach categories from the codes and themes from the categories. As a result of the study, three main themes were obtained: "Theme of Problems Experienced by Patients and Their Relatives", "Theme of Causes of Problems Experienced by Patients and Their Relatives" and "The Effects of Problems Experienced by Patients and Their Relatives on Their Lives". According to the sub-themes of the problems experienced by patients and their relatives as a result of the research, the most intense physiological problems are pain, cough-shortness of breath, nausea-vomiting; being a burden to others psychologically and worrying about the future of their loved ones. According to the sub-theme of the causes of the problems, the reasons are financial inadequacy, the long and tiring treatment process, difficulties experienced as a woman, receiving treatment outside the city and transportation problems. According to the sub-theme of the effects of the problems on their lives, the social effects are; not being able to keep up with responsibilities at home, increasing family support, economic effects; inadequate hospital facilities, financial support provided by the state, spiritual effects; turning to spiritual feelings, increasing gratitude, and the effects on the care-treatment process; the ease of the treatment process in the hospital and the patient's relative being in a difficult situation are among the effects on their lives. Key words: Palliative care, Patient, Patient relative, Problems experienced, Causes of problems experienced and Effects of problems experienced on life