Palliative care nurses work during one of life’s most sensitive, challenging, and vulnerable times. While these very tough healthcare workers are aware of their patients’ choices and the reactions of loved ones, they can offer a great service while aiding patients and their families at the end of life. Many nurses can reach the degree of grace demanded by end-of-life treatment using practice and compassion, as long as they keep these five principles in mind:
Every Patient Has Unique Requirements
At the end of life, patients find themselves in many diverse situations; palliative care nurses must always remember that their approach with different patients cannot become standard. A mobile patient might only need help with medication and might otherwise gain from slow discussion.
The nurse should be especially sensitive to whether or not many patients listen and interact more through touch instead of speaking. Careful listening helps one to better understand real requirements; hence, be sure you invest the time required to make it feasible. For instance, a patient may request cremation at the time of death and may require the nurse to communicate this to family members or other healthcare providers involved in the patient’s care.
Some Patients Lack Advance Directives
In end-of-life care, only 15% to 30% of patients have clearly stated their advance healthcare directions. That figure should be far higher, but palliative care nurses must act as much as possible to enable conversations regarding advance directives with the family members and patient until the percentage rises. Nurses should advocate that official decisions be made before the palliative care period.
Know Patient Needs
Particularly at this point in a patient’s life, a nurse’s role is not to arrive on the scene and impose legal rules regarding the course of events. Rather, the nurse should arrive asking how he or she may assist the patient with the remaining time.
Learning about your patient will help you to address that issue. Would he or she like to spend this time at home surrounded by friends and relatives? Alternatively, would he or she like to be in a homogeneous environment elsewhere?
Perhaps a patient wishes to keep working and stay as active as feasible. Maybe one patient especially wishes to embark on an adventure. A nurse will never know if he or she does not say anything.
Evaluate Their Personal Needs
Nurses also have a great need for awareness of their strong preferences. And they have to act honestly. For instance, nurses have to ask themselves whether they feel awkward around particular illnesses or patients. Does the nurse want to not participate in any particular chores or events? Nurses should be aware of this about themselves and, when needed, speak up to their companies.
Patients Come First
Family members will wish to offer insight into the end-of-life planning of a person after their death.
Nurses have to consider their viewpoints and talk with the family, of course. Those choices, however, never supersede entirely the wishes of the patient. The responsibilities of palliative care nurses are to their patients; so, be graceful and kind to all patients.
Endnote
Nurses play a crucial role in upholding patient dignity at end-of-life by providing compassionate care, promoting open communication, and respecting the individual’s autonomy. By incorporating these strategies into their practice, nurses can ensure that patients receive the highest quality of care and support during this vulnerable time.