Introduction: The number of patients suffering from end-stage renal disease who are receiving haemodialysis is rising so rapidly that it is about to become a global public health care issue. Patients on haemodialysis face a drastic shift in lifestyle because their life becomes permanently dependent on the renal failure replacement treatment. Such patients also experience psychological changes which have a negative impact on their physical and psychological well-being. In addition, stress factors can lead to psychological disorders, which can only be tackled with the support of the family as well as nurses. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to use domestic and foreign scientific literature to present the way nurses organise psychological assistance for patients with end-stage renal failure who are undergoing replacement therapy in the form of haemodialysis. Another goal is to determine how they identify and prevent psychological issues during haemodialysis. Methods: This research was based on a descriptive method involving a systematic review of domestic and foreign scientific literature from the period 2006–2016, which is available in the following databases: CINAHL, Wiley Online Library, Medline and COBIB.SI. Discussion and conclusion: Nurses bear a great deal of responsibility in the vertical organisational structure. The haemodialysis unit offers initial psychological support upon admission and continues with it throughout the treatment. However, nurses must be competent for recognising various psychological issues in their patients in order to take adequate action. Psychological support provided by nurses can be divided into three stages: assessment, encouragement and support. Quality psychological support with expert knowledge is crucial for patients with renal failure, which is why more attention should be devoted to it during all the stages of health care education. That being said, nurses should also possess various skills, such as stress management strategies, communication techniques and crisis management, which should not result in nurses burning out in the workplace due to an excessive workload.
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