THE CHALLENGES FOR NURSES WHO PROVIDE PALLIATIVE CARE TO DAYING PATIENTS - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages This holistic care services may be carried out in most clinical setting, including patient's home.

Role of Nurses in Palliative Care
Issues of death and caring for dying patients are certainly emotional human experiences that demands for a compassionate care. ICN reiterates that nurses should reduce suffering and help improve the quality of a dying patient's life, so with the family members. Nurses are expected create and maintain a relationship with the client who is therapeutic; working with them in a peaceful environment conducive for mitigating pain. As health care providers, they must be effective as clinical managers, supervisors, coordinating services, able to set priorities, monitor care outcomes, conducting health teachings to patient and the families, managing resources and efficient in providing nursing leadership in caring for dying patients.

Issues and Challenges in Nursing Palliative Care
In line with their work, several nurses experienced moral and ethical dilemmas. In January 2004 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association (2004, 11), authors who conducted survey about the end-of-life experiences of people who passed away shared that, majority of people preferred to die at home. Regardless of the setting, respondents shared that, the care

given by the staff were inadequate: dyspnea (22%), pain (24%), and emotional needs (50%). There was higher patients' satisfaction with hospice care than the care provided by nursing homes, hospitals, and home care providers. Undoubtedly, the goals of care and care itself are interdisciplinary.
On the contrary, The Institute of Medicine (IOM) elaborated that, in nursing homes, there is insufficient knowledge regarding the experience...
This report approves that The health care team with the family must do advance planning so that, during the course of decision making, patient’s preferences are ensured. The patient needs to be guarded against any aggressive and inappropriate care near death. The team also has to make the time spent by the dying and the family precious. Despite declining physical health, the patient’s quality of life must be ensured. The financial burden of the family must be minimized; patient and the family should be educated in terms of insurance which cover treatment of the illness and help the family with bereavement should be given. All these are important and health care providers should be educated of the said principles.
This essay makes a cocnlusion that good health is a responsibility of everyone. The overall health outcomes of a patient greatly depends on the collaborative efforts of the patient and family, health care providers and institution, insurance companies, and all the more, the government. When health care costs are rising, insurers must see to it that they address properly the patient’s needs. The public and policy making bodies must adopt the prolonging-life-at-any-cost approach in order to upgrade the existing quality health care system. Nurses should not only predict the moment of patient’s death but should anticipate the risks and difficulties patient experience, rather discuss dying, support patient and family by informing them about appropriate treatment decisions. ...Download file to see next pagesRead More