The American journal of nursing
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Review Meta Analysis
CE: Original Research: End-of-Life Care Behind Bars: A Systematic Review.
: To conduct a systematic review of the published research literature on end-of-life (EOL) care in prisons in order to determine the current state of the science and suggest implications for nursing practice and areas for future research. Applying the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we performed a comprehensive search of the literature using the following databases: CINAHL, Criminal Justice Abstracts, the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Sociological Abstracts. All databases were searched from the time of their inception through June 2014. ⋯ Likewise, prison administrators and health care staff viewed inmate participation positively. This literature review reveals the challenges of providing EOL care to prisoners and may inspire nurses to consider steps they can take individually or within nursing organizations to improve this care and address the unique challenges faced by dying inmates. By being aware of these issues and advocating for best practices, nurses can help inmates at the end of life to have a dignified death.