Nursing Support For Families Of Dying Patients

When a patient has an advanced disease, considerable demands are placed on the whole family. Whilst coping with their own profound emotions, close relatives commonly have to support their loved ones through a range of treatments as the disease progresses through stages of remission and recurrence, until finally, a shift to a palliative mode of treatment must be faced. In such situations, family roles and relationships are likely to be disrupted and family members? coping resources can be stretched to the limit. It is clear from this that by the time the terminal stage of the patient?s illness is reached, the family may have travelled a long and difficult road, and close relatives are likely to be emotionally vulnerable and in need of support.This study explores the needs of relatives of terminally ill patients and the concerns of nurses who provide care in the hospital. The research data is used to design, implement and evaluate clinical standards for improved family support.

This title is directed primarily towards health care professionals outside of the United States. Palliative Care: The Nursing Role is an introductory text for nurses and other health care professionals who deliver palliative care across a range of settings. It lays a clear foundation of knowledge focusing on the needs and perspectives of patients and families who face the challenge of advanced, incurable illness. The style is highly accessible yet challenges readers to analyze key issues that present within palliative care. Covering the wide range of care provision in hospices, hospitals and patients' homes, the book draws widely from practice based examples to explain and expand upon theoretical issues. Research evidence underpins each of the chapters. Guided activities encourage readers to reflect, in a focused way, on their clinical experience and current practice. This new edition has been fully updated to reflect ongoing developments and shifting trends in palliative care education and practice. It will suit the needs of both pre and post-qualifying students seeking to develop their knowledge and is well suited to practitioners working within either generalist or specialist palliative care settings, or within acute or community settings as well as those studying a range of palliative care educational curricula. The authors have a wide range of experience in palliative care and all are actively engaged in practice and/or education. A clear, broad-based approach offers a thorough introduction for the non-specialist nurse. Written and edited by an experienced team of nurses working in this field, grounding it in current practice. Learning outcomes listed at the start of each chapter aid learning and comprehension. Reflective practice activities and an outline of CPD is especially useful for students working independently. Case histories, recommended reading lists, and references provide a solid evidence base for clinically based practice and facilitate further study. Thoroughly revised and updated to reflect changes in policy direction. A new chapter on pain and symptom management. Revised content reflects the recent shift in the evidence base concerning spirituality. Includes psychosocial issues of loss for the patient, their family, and careers.

A milestone resource for palliative care nurses that facilitates evidence-based compassionate and humanistic care of the dying "A valuable contribution to the evolving field of palliative nursing care. It is authored by a model for this field, Bonnie Freeman, and brings to the bedside what her practice embodies--evidence-based clinically expert care...The CARES tool is a long-needed resource and we are all grateful to the author for moving her passion to paper. It will touch the lives and deaths of patients, families, and the nurses who care for them." --Betty Ferrell, PhD, RN, MA, FAAN, FCPN, CHPN Professor and Director, Division of Nursing Research and Education City of Hope National Medical Center From the Foreword This groundbreaking reference for palliative care nurses is the first to provide realistic and achievable evidence-based methods for incorporating compassionate and humanistic care of the dying into current standards of practice. It builds on the author's research-based CARES tool; a reference that synthesizes five key elements demonstrated to enable a peaceful death, as free from suffering as possible: comfort, airway management, management of restlessness and delirium, emotional and spiritual support, and selfcare for nurses. The book describes, step by step, how nurses can easily implement the basic tenets of the CARES tool into their end-of-life practice. It provides a clearly defined plan that can be individualized for each patient and tailored to specific family needs, and facilitates caring for the dying in the most respectful and humane way possible. The book identifies the most common symptom management needs in dying patients and describes, in detail, the five components of the CARES paradigm and how to implement them to enable a peaceful death and minimize suffering. It includes palliative care prompts founded on 29 evidence-based recommendations and the National Consensus Project for Palliative Care Clinical Practice Guidelines. The resource also addresses the importance of the nurse to act as a patient advocate, how to achieve compassionate communication with the patient and family, and barriers and challenges to compassionate care. Case studies emphasize the importance of compassionate nursing care of the dying and how it can be effectively achieved. Key Features: Provides nurses with a clear understanding of the most common needs of the dying and supplies practical applications to facilitate and improve care Clarifies the current and often complex literature on care of the dying Includes case studies illustrating the most common needs of dying patients and how these are addressed effectively by the CARES tool Based on extensive evidence as well as on the National Consensus Project for Palliative Care Clinical Practice Guidelines

Nursing Care at the End of Life: Palliative Care for Patients and Families explores the deep issues of caring for the dying and suffering. The book is based on the Hospice Family Caregiving Model previously published by the author and focuses on the practice implications of care for the dying. The book is written in a clear and user-friendly style, and is ideal for undergraduate nursing students learning about dying, suffering, and caring for individuals and their families.

This book provides an unique resource for registered nurses working in hospice palliative care at home and for the community, outside of acute care settings and also incorporates literature related to palliative care in acute health care settings, as part of the overall services and supports required. Very few resources exist which specifically address hospice palliative care in the home setting, despite the fact that most palliative care occurs outside acute care settings and is primarily supported by unpaid family caregivers. An overview of the concerns for individuals and families, as well as specific nursing interventions, from all ages would be an excellent support for nursing students and practicing registered nurses alike. The book structure begins with a description of the goals and objectives of hospice palliative care and the nursing role in providing excellent supportive care. Chapters include research findings and specifically research completed by the authors in the areas of pediatric palliative care, palliative care for those with dementia, and the needs of family caregivers in bereavement. Interventions developed by the editors are provided in this book, such as the “Finding Balance Intervention” for bereaved caregivers; the “Reclaiming Yourself” tool for bereaved spouses of partners with dementia; and The Keeping Hope Possible Toolkit for families of children with life threatening and life limiting illnesses. The development and application of these theory-based interventions are also highlighted. Videos and vignettes written by family caregivers about what was helpful for them, provide a patient-and family-centered approach./div The book will benefit nursing students, educators and practicing registered nurses by providing information, theory, and evidence from research.

This sensitively written book offers a wealth of insight and practical advice for nurses in every specialty and setting providing end-of-life care. Nurses will learn how to address patients' spiritual concerns, ensure that physical needs are met, help patients maintain their dignity, and provide emotional support to grieving families. Nurses will also learn how to cope with their own feelings about dying and end-of-life care. Coverage includes stages of dying, nursing interventions for palliative care, pain control, alternative therapies, physical and psychological signs of grieving, and more. Vignette insights from the well-known end-of-life specialist Joy Ufema offer advice on giving compassionate care.

A milestone resource for palliative care nurses that facilitates evidence-based compassionate and humanistic care of the dying A valuable contribution to the evolving field of palliative nursing care. It is authored by a model for this field, Bonnie Freeman, and brings to the bedside what her practice embodies--evidence-based clinically expert care...The CARES tool is a long-needed resource and we are all grateful to the author for moving her passion to paper. It will touch the lives and deaths of patients, families, and the nurses who care for them. --Betty Ferrell, PhD, RN, MA, FAAN, FCPN, CHPN Professor and Director, Division of Nursing Research and Education City of Hope National Medical Center From the Foreword This groundbreaking reference for palliative care nurses is the first to provide realistic and achievable evidence-based methods for incorporating compassionate and humanistic care of the dying into current standards of practice. It builds on the author's research-based CARES tool; a reference that synthesizes five key elements demonstrated to enable a peaceful death, as free from suffering as possible: comfort, airway management, management of restlessness and delirium, emotional and spiritual support, and selfcare for nurses. The book describes, step by step, how nurses can easily implement the basic tenets of the CARES tool into their end-of-life practice. It provides a clearly defined plan that can be individualized for each patient and tailored to specific family needs, and facilitates caring for the dying in the most respectful and humane way possible. The book identifies the most common symptom management needs in dying patients and describes, in detail, the five components of the CARES paradigm and how to implement them to enable a peaceful death and minimize suffering. It includes palliative care prompts founded on 29 evidence-based recommendations and the National Consensus Project for Palliative Care Clinical Practice Guidelines. The resource also addresses the importance of the nurse to act as a patient advocate, how to achieve compassionate communication with the patient and family, and barriers and challenges to compassionate care. Case studies emphasize the importance of compassionate nursing care of the dying and how it can be effectively achieved. Key Features: Provides nurses with a clear understanding of the most common needs of the dying and supplies practical applications to facilitate and improve care Clarifies the current and often complex literature on care of the dying Includes case studies illustrating the most common needs of dying patients and how these are addressed effectively by the CARES tool Based on extensive evidence as well as on the National Consensus Project for Palliative Care Clinical Practice Guidelines Bonnie Freeman, DNP, ANP, RN, ACHPN, is an adult nurse practitioner in the Department of Supportive Care Medicine at the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California. She is involved with treating the symptom management needs of many chronically and terminally ill individuals diagnosed with various forms of cancer. Dr. Freeman trained at such excellent facilities as the in-patient units at San Diego Hospice and the Institute of Palliative Medicine in San Diego, California, and the home care hospice program in Owensboro, Kentucky. While in Kentucky, she completed her advanced practice clinical training for adult nurse practitioners with a specialty focus on palliative care through Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. This program exposed Dr. Freeman to current concepts in caring for the dying, and enhanced her already significant clinical experience caring for dying individuals acquired from over 30 years working in critical care. Dr. Freeman obtained her MSN from Indiana Wesleyan University, and her DNP from Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California. Contributors Tracey Das Gupta, MN, RN, CON, is director of Interprofessional Practice at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is also the colead of the Quality Dying Initiative with Dr. Jeff Myers. Tracey has been passionate about health care, quality of life, and leadership since becoming a nurse in 1991. Her decision to become a nurse was influenced by her father who lived with muscular dystrophy. Ms. Das Gupta has fulfilled various frontline nursing roles along the continuum of care and has had the opportunity to continue to grow in leadership roles such as educator, professional practice leader, and director of nursing practice. In her current role, she also provides leadership for the development and implementation of Sunnybrook's interprofessional care (IPC) strategy. Margaret Fitch, PhD, MScN, is a nurse researcher and holds an appointment at the Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing and School of Graduate Studies at the University of Toronto. She also serves as expert lead for cancer survivorship and patient experience for the Person-Centered Perspective Portfolio of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. She is also editor-in-chief for the Canadian Oncology Nursing Journal. Dr. Fitch has an extensive publication record based on her many years of research regarding patient perspectives, coping and adaptation with illness, and screening for psychosocial distress. She has particular expertise in measurement and evaluation, qualitative methods, and knowledge integration. During her career, she has held clinical and administrative positions and has maintained an ongoing role in education of both undergraduate and graduate students and health professionals in practice.

Learn to interact with families in ways that promote family functioning when a family member is dying. Family-Based Palliative Care is an insightful book that aims to increase professionals’understanding of the family as client. Authoritative contributors who are experienced in working with the terminally ill present the most current theory, practice, and research related to family-based care of hospice patients. Each readable chapter includes a wealth of information that can be applied to health care settings in which holistic care is a priority. The first chapter presents a conceptual framework for caring for families of the terminally ill as well as clinical examples that are used to illustrate the application of the framework in practice. Experts describe four research studies--two qualitative studies that examine sources of stress for caregivers and identify the resources used by families to manage at home; a methodological study that explores the positive and negative aspects of family caregiving; and a case study that evaluates a hospice staff’s efforts in providing family- based care. Because little research has been done with family caregivers of terminally ill hospice patients, Family-Based Palliative Care will be essential reading for nurses, social workers, hospice staff, and other professionals whose job it is to care for the dying and their families.