Views and experiences of nurses and health-care assistants in nursing care homes about the Gold Standards Framework

Aim: To explore the views and experiences of nurses and health-care support staff about the use of the Gold Standards Framework (GSF) for end-of-life care (EoLC) for older people in nursing care homes (NCHs) with GSF accreditation.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted with three purposively selected NCHs in London. Individual interviews were conducted with NCH managers (n=3) and in each NCH, a focus group was conducted with registered nurses (RNs) and health-care assistants (HCAs): focus group 1, n=2 RN, n=2 HCA; focus group 2, n=2 RN, n=3 HCA; focus group 3, n=3 RN, n=3 HCA. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using framework analysis.

Findings: Three core themes were identified: (i) a positive regard for the GSF for care homes (GSFCH); (ii) challenges around EoLC for older people; and (iii) difficulties in using the GSFCH.

Conclusions: RNs, HCAs and managers regarded the training and support afforded by the GSFCH programme to inform EoLC for older residents positively. The framework has the potential to promote a coordinated approach to EoLC for older people. In the post accreditation period, there is a need for ongoing support and development to help embed the key tenets of the GSFCH in the culture of caring.