‘Completely by accident’: a qualitative analysis of service providers motivations to practice palliative care

BACKGROUND: The lack of clarity about the factors that motivate service providers to take a career in palliative care presents a significant knowledge gap that must be filled. This is because gaining knowledge about the motivations for taking a career in palliative care would provide valuable insights that can potentially increase buy-in and interest among prospective healthcare professionals. By elucidating the motivations of service providers, the study aims to contribute to the broader field of palliative care research and inform the development of tailored interventions and training programmes to increase the pool of specialized palliative care providers. OBJECTIVE: To explore palliative care service providers’ motivations to practice palliative care. DESIGN: Exploratory descriptive design. METHODS: In all, seven in-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. Data were managed using NVivo-12. Inductive thematic analysis was performed by following Hasse’s adaptation of Colaizzi’s approach to qualitative thematic analysis. RESULTS: Two main factors motivated service providers to take a career in palliative care. The first was the influence of professional training while the second motivation was from their personal experiences regarding providing care to a family member with palliative care needs. CONCLUSION: The study concludes that personal experiences with caring for a loved one with palliative care needs play a pivotal role in shaping the decision of service providers to pursue a career in palliative care. Also, investment in palliative care education and training is crucial to ensure a skilled workforce capable of meeting the growing needs of patients and families facing serious illnesses.