Barriers to the provision of palliative care nursing in emergency departments in developing countries: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND

The implementation of palliative care nursing (PCN) in emergency departments (ED) is challenging, particularly in developing countries. There were several barriers faced by ED nurses. However, the specific barriers to the provision of PCN in the ED of developing countries' hospitals remained unclear. This scoping review aimed to explore the barriers to the provision of palliative nursing care in the ED of developing countries' hospitals.

METHODS

This scoping review utilized five databases: Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Medline, and ProQuest, in addition to a Google Scholar search and backward and forward citation tracking. The articles included must have been published between 2014 and 2025, be available as full text, and be written in English. Two authors independently performed the article selection process, adhering to the PRISMA protocol.

RESULTS

We included eight articles from six developing countries: China, Brazil, Uganda, Thailand, Indonesia, and Ghana. We identified and classified barriers to the provision of PCN in the ED in developing countries into several themes, including lack of knowledge and skills, lack of health facilities, practical issues, ethical issues, and family boundaries.

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding the barriers to the provision of PCN is expected to provide a foundation for evaluating and enhancing its implementation in the ED, particularly in developing countries' hospitals.