Assuring quality of care for patients who face the end of life has been a major concern for those in hospice settings. Limited research is available that has a focus on understanding what quality of care in a hospice setting looks like. This research is important to provide insight into hospice health care providers' perceptions of the quality of care in the hospice setting and on the indicators that influence care quality. A qualitative phenomenological approach was used to answer the research questions on the perspectives of the health care providers in the hospice care setting regarding the quality of care and the factors that health care providers perceive as important to the quality of care in the hospice setting. Kolcaba's comfort theory served as the theoretical framework that guided the preparation of the questions used for the interviews and for interpreting the findings. Data collection was conducted through structured interviews with a sample of 15 hospice health care providers. Interviews were held in a private office of the hospice setting. After Walden Institutional Review Board approval, participants consented and interviews commenced. Data were transcribed and Nvivo software was used to assist with identifying major themes. Recommendations from the study reflect Kolcaba's comfort theory providing patient-centered care and enhanced quality of care for patients in a hospice setting. The research findings and recommendations will help promote a positive social change by raising awareness for effective provider communication, staffing, education and adequacy of resources in the hospice setting.

This thesis concerns the ethical aspects of accompanying the caregivers and the dying in hospice care and problematic situations in this care. This thesis is comprised of four chapters. The first chapter concerns hospice care - form, goals and definitions of hospice care. The second chapter focuses on hospice care in social work, which belongs to hospices. The third chapter concerns the ethics in social work, ethical dilemmas in social work and the importance of ethics in social work itself. The fourth chapter is focused on ethics in hospice care, dilemmas and ethical aspects of communication and mourning within hospice care.