Social workers in the community setting are in constant contact with the suffering experienced by the most vulnerable individual. Social interventions are complex and affect social workers’ emotional well-being. The aim of this study was to identify the emotions, feelings, and experiences social workers have while attending to individuals in situations of vulnerability and hardship. A qualitative methodology based on hermeneutic phenomenology was used. Six interviews and two focus group sessions were conducted with social workers from the community social services and health services of the Andalusian Public Health System in the province of Almería (Spain). Atlas.ti 8.0 software was used for discourse analysis. The professionals highlighted the vulnerability of certain groups, such as the elderly and minors, people with serious mental problems, and people with scarce or no economic resources. Daily contact with situations of suffering generates a variety of feelings and emotions (anger, sadness, fear, concern). Therefore, more attention should be paid to working with the emotions of social workers who are exposed to tense and threatening situations. Peer support, talking, and discussions of experiences are pointed out as relevant by all social workers. Receiving training and support (in formal settings) in order to learn how to deal with vulnerable groups could be positive for their work and their professional and personal quality of life.

Health information and communication are key elements that allow patients and family members to make decisions about end-of-life care and guarantee a death with dignity. Objective: To understand caregivers’ experiences regarding health information and communication during the illness and death of family members. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in Andalusia based on the paradigm of hermeneutic phenomenology. Participants were caregivers who had accompanied a family member at the end of life for over 2 months and less than 2 years. Five nominal groups and five discussion groups were established, and 41 in-depth interviews with 123 participants were conducted. Atlas.ti 7.0 software was used to analyze the discourses. A comprehensive reading was carried out along with a second reading. The most relevant units of meaning were identified, and the categories were extracted. The categories were then grouped in dimensions and, finally, the contents of each dimension were interpreted and described given the appropriate clarifications. Results: Four dimensions of the dying process emerged: differences in caregivers’ perceptions of information and communication, a conspiracy of silence, consequences of the absence or presence of information, and the need for a culture change. Conclusions: Poor management of health information and communication at the end of life increased the suffering and discomfort of patients and their families. The culture of denying and avoiding death is still present today. A change in education about death would better enable health professionals to care for patients at the end of life.

Caring for a person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease has a negative impact on family caregivers’ psychological health. This study examined the factors related to ‘perceived health’ and ‘presence of new-onset mental health problems’ in family caregivers of people diagnosed with mild and moderate Alzheimer’s disease. A cross-sectional observational study carried out in Almeria’s Healthcare District (Spain). A total of 255 family caregivers (42.4% cared for people with mild Alzheimer’s disease and 57.6% cared for people with moderate Alzheimer’s disease) participated in the study from January to December 2015. Mainly, caregivers were women (81.5% in the mild Alzheimer’s disease group and 88.4% in the moderate Alzheimer’s disease group), and their average age was 56.54 years (standard deviation (SD) = 13.13) and 54.47 years (SD = 11.71), respectively. Around 47% of the caregivers had been caring for the person with Alzheimer’s between two and five years. The Goldberg General Health Questionnaire was used to measure perceived health and the presence of new-onset mental health problems. An exploratory descriptive analysis and a multivariate logistic regression analysis were conducted. For caregivers of people with mild Alzheimer’s disease, ‘perceived health’ was related to ‘perceived social support’ (r = −0.21; p = 0.028), ‘person’s level of dependency’ (r = −0.24, p = 0.05), ‘severity of the person’s neuropsychiatric symptoms’ (r = 0.22; p = 0.05), and ‘caregiver’s emotional distress in response to the person’s neuropsychiatric symptoms’ (r = 0.22; p = 0.05). For caregivers of people with moderate Alzheimer’s disease, ‘perceived health’ was related to ‘perceived social support’ (r = −0.31; p ˂ 0.01), ‘presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms’ (r = 0.27, p = 0.01), ‘severity of the person’s neuropsychiatric symptoms’ (r = 0.32, p = 0.01) and ‘caregiver’s emotional distress in response to the person’s neuropsychiatric symptoms’ (r = 0.029; p = 0.01). The presence of new-onset mental health problems was detected in 46.3% (n = 50) of caregivers of people with mild Alzheimer’s and 61.9% (n = 91) of caregivers of people with moderate Alzheimer’s. When people are diagnosed with mild Alzheimer’s disease, intervention programs for caregivers should aim to regulate emotions and promote positive coping strategies. When people are diagnosed with moderate Alzheimer’s disease, intervention programs for caregivers must allow them to adapt to caregiving demands that arise with the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

Women victims of gender violence consider the health system an appropriate place to seek help. Aims and Objectives: to describe and understand how nurses perceive gender-based violence in health care for women victims of gender-based violence. Qualitative descriptive study. The recommendations of the COREQ guide for qualitative research reporting were followed. Sixteen nurses who were working in different health services, both primary and specialized care, were selected to take part in the study. Three focus groups and a semi-structured interview were conducted. The ATLAS.ti 9 computer programme was used. The nurses highlighted that when caring for women who are victims of gender violence, they encounter two types of violence: invisible or latent, and visible or patent. Part of the nurses’ role is based on the skill of knowing how to act and being trained to do so. In addition, there are certain controversies around the concept and origin of violence. On the one hand, they refer to gender violence as a universal phenomenon with strong cultural and educational roots, and, on the other hand, it is difficult to characterize. The findings report how nurses play a fundamental role in caring for victims of gender-based violence, but they encounter certain difficulties regarding this concept. It is therefore essential to continuously train and educate nurses on gender-based violence. Gender violence should be a competency in nursing curricula. Health systems must offer training and awareness programmes that teach nurses to detect and make decisions regarding female victims of gender violence. It is also necessary to set up spaces in the different services so that the nurses can attend to the victims.

Aims and Objectives: To learn about the attitudes of nurses working in the Andalusian Public Health System regarding euthanasia and its legalisation.Background: Euthanasia often finds itself in the crosshairs of ethical and political debate on an international scale. Currently, the Spanish Organic Law 3/2021 of 24 March, 2021, recognises euthanasia as a fundamental right in Spain. It is of particular interest to know about the views, attitudes and stances that Andalusian nurses have of euthanasia as they are key players within the framework of euthanasia and administration of life‐ending drugs. They play a central role in guiding patients through the euthanasia application process.Design: Observational descriptive study.Methods: A study of Andalusian Public Health System nurses was carried out using non‐probability convenience sampling. 518 nurses with an average age of 44.75 years answered in a questionnaire that was distributed on an online platform. Socio‐demographic and occupational variables were assessed, together with the Death Anxiety Scale and the Euthanasia Attitude Scale. A bivariate analysis and a multivariate linear regression model were performed. The STROBE checklist was used.Results: The mean score obtained on the Euthanasia Attitude Scale was 75.95 (SD = 16.53). The mean score obtained on the Death Anxiety Scale was 7.56 (SD = 3.05). The variables age and work experience were negatively correlated with the total scores of the Euthanasia Attitude Scale and the categories ‘Ethical considerations’, ‘Practical considerations’ and ‘Treasuring life’. On the other hand, there was a significant positive correlation between age and work experience and ‘Spiritual beliefs’ category.Conclusions: The current situation shows a worrying paradox. There is a stark difference between positive professional attitudes towards euthanasia and the desire to participate in its application.Relevance to Clinical Practice: It is vital that educational and healthcare institutions make the necessary efforts to ensure that nurses develop sound moral judgement, displaying the moral conscience and ethical commitment required of this established profession.Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution.

The Law on Euthanasia was approved in Spain and implemented in the health system. Nursing students must position themselves with respect to euthanasia in their work in the near future. To know the attitudes of nursing students towards the legalization of euthanasia, its relationship with end-of-life planning, and the spiritual dimension. A cross-sectional descriptive quantitative study. Study carried out with students of the Nursing Degree at the Universities of Huelva and Almería in Spain from April to July 2021. Attitudes towards the final phase of life, Anxiety towards death, and Attitudes towards Euthanasia questionnaires were administered. Descriptive, inferential and logistic regression statistics were calculated to determine the relationship between attitudes towards euthanasia and sociodemographic variables, end-of-life planning, and the spiritual dimension. 285 Nursing students with an average age of 23.58 years (SD = 8.19) participated. The scores on the attitude towards euthanasia were higher than the mean. While 70.5 % of the students were aware about advanced planning, only 2.5 % of them had made advanced plans. In religious practice and the spiritual dimension, the average score was high as they considered these elements to be of great support at the end of life. In terms of anxiety about death, the average score was significantly higher in women. Age, spiritual accompaniment and help, and the frequency with which spiritual beliefs are practiced are predictive factors for the attitude towards euthanasia. Students have a positive vision of euthanasia while admitting anxiety about death. They emphasize advance planning and greater religious practice as supports for euthanasia. The need for curricular training related to moral deliberation and values that support euthanasia is clear.