With the number of people requiring palliative and end of life care steadily increasing, it is the responsibility of every nurse, regardless of specialism, to know how to provide high quality care to this group of people. Yet caring for those nearing the end of life can throw up complex issues, including handling bereavement, cultural and ethical issues, delivering care in a wide variety of settings, symptom management and also ensuring your own emotional resilience. This book is specifically designed to equip nursing students and non-specialists with the essential knowledge in relation to the care and management of people nearing the end of life.
Nurses often develop long-term relationships with the patients and families for whom they care; providing quality care until the end of life is absolutely fundamental to nursing. This important book provides the guidelines and tools necessary to provide this care. -- Publisher description.
This open access book aims to provide a comprehensive but practical overview of the knowledge required for the assessment and management of the older adult with or at risk of fragility fracture. It considers this from the perspectives of all of the settings in which this group of patients receive nursing care. Globally, a fragility fracture is estimated to occur every 3 seconds. This amounts to 25 000 fractures per day or 9 million per year. The financial costs are reported to be: 32 billion EUR per year in Europe and 20 billon USD in the United States. As the population of China ages, the cost of hip fracture care there is likely to reach 1.25 billion USD by 2020 and 265 billion by 2050 (International Osteoporosis Foundation 2016). Consequently, the need for nursing for patients with fragility fracture across the world is immense. Fragility fracture is one of the foremost challenges for health care providers, and the impact of each one of those expected 9 million hip fractures is significant pain, disability, reduced quality of life, loss of independence and decreased life expectancy. There is a need for coordinated, multi-disciplinary models of care for secondary fracture prevention based on the increasing evidence that such models make a difference. There is also a need to promote and facilitate high quality, evidence-based effective care to those who suffer a fragility fracture with a focus on the best outcomes for recovery, rehabilitation and secondary prevention of further fracture. The care community has to understand better the experience of fragility fracture from the perspective of the patient so that direct improvements in care can be based on the perspectives of the users. This book supports these needs by providing a comprehensive approach to nursing practice in fragility fracture care.
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.
Students and newly qualified staff make up much of the workforce delivering end-of-life care but, because end-of-life care can be both technically challenging and emotionally demanding, it is an aspect of nursing that can cause considerable anxiety. This very accessible, straightforward book helps to allay those concerns and enables pre-registration students to prepare confidently for the challenges they will face when they are caring for dying patients and supporting their families. Each chapter is based on a different and realistic scenario - reflecting a range of circumstances - to demonstrate the essential generic knowledge and skills they need to develop, and draws out the important practical and theoretical issues students should consider and address if patients and their families are to receive the best possible care. Written by two experienced palliative care lecturer/practitioners, and mapping closely to the NMC′s 2010 domains, the book is tailored to the needs of student nurses working with adult patients. It explores the importance of their role in end-of-life care and how this interfaces with the roles of other multidisciplinary professionals involved in the care of their patients. It will also be helpful to students of other health-care professions and support newly-qualified health-care professionals working in adult health.
An on-the-go reference for hospice nurses and those interested in end-of-life care, this practical guide covers the essential elements in the compassionate and holistic care of terminally ill patients and their families. Nurses care for patients facing end-of-life issues in every practice specialty and, as the U.S. population continues to age, the need for proficiency in end-of-life skills will become increasingly important. Fast Facts for the Hospice Nurse: A Concise Guide to End-of-Life Care is an invaluable resource that provides emotional, administrative, and palliative support, whether in a hospice, long-term care facility, or acute care setting. This vital go-to text clearly and concisely lays out not only how to care for patients facing end-of-life issues, but also how to engage in self-care and cope with occupational stress. Beginning with an overview of hospice care, including its history and philosophy, this book offers a timeline of the growth of the hospice movement in the United States. Subsequent sections include up-to-date information on the clinical responsibilities of the hospice nurse in addressing the physical, psychological, and spiritual needs of terminally ill patients and their families in a culturally sensitive way. This book also outlines the administrative duties of the hospice nurse, including hospice documentation, a review of hospice regulations, and quality management. The closing section focuses on occupational stress in hospice nursing and how to engage in self-care. This text can serve as a useful clinical resource and also as a reference for nurses seeking hospice certification from the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center. Key Features Organized within the context of the scope and standards of practice of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association. Addresses key points about issues unique to hospice nursing and highlights evidence-based interventions Addresses important Medicare regulations and reimbursement Offers numerous clinical resources to assist with hospice nursing practice Serves as a concise study resource for hospice nursing certification
In our society's aggressive pursuit of cures for cancer, we have neglected symptom control and comfort care. Less than one percent of the National Cancer Institute's budget is spent on any aspect of palliative care research or education, despite the half million people who die of cancer each year and the larger number living with cancer and its symptoms. Improving Palliative Care for Cancer examines the barriersâ€"scientific, policy, and socialâ€"that keep those in need from getting good palliative care. It goes on to recommend public- and private-sector actions that would lead to the development of more effective palliative interventions; better information about currently used interventions; and greater knowledge about, and access to, palliative care for all those with cancer who would benefit from it.
This textbook in palliative care nursing draws together the principles and evidence that underpins practice to support nurses working in specialist palliative care settings and those whose work involves end-of-life care.
Palliative and End-of-Life Care, 2nd Edition provides clinicians with the guidelines and tools necessary to provide quality, evidenced-based care to patients with life-limiting illness. This text describes the care and management of patients with advanced disease throughout the disease trajectory, extending from diagnosis of advanced disease until death. Four units provide the general principles of palliative and end-of-life care, important concepts, advanced disease management, and clinical practice guidelines. Clinical practice guidelines offer in-depth discussions of the pathophysiology of 19 different symptoms, interventions for specific symptom management (including in-depth rationales), and suggestions for patient and family teaching. Defines dying as a normal, healthy process aided by the support of an interdisciplinary team. Provides in-depth pathophysiology, assessment, and intervention information based upon the disease trajectory. Highlights opportunities for patient and family teaching. Describes psychosocial issues experienced by patients and their families. Reviews uncomplicated and complicated grief and mourning, providing suggestions to help the family after a patient's death. Includes case studies at the end of chapters to reinforce key concepts of compassionate care. New chapters including Advance Care Planning, Ethical Issues, Spiritual Care Across Cultures, Pharmacology, Sleep, and Nutrition. Includes a new appendix on Assessment Tools and Resources for more comprehensive coverage of palliative and end-of-life care.
When the end of life makes its inevitable appearance, people should be able to expect reliable, humane, and effective caregiving. Yet too many dying people suffer unnecessarily. While an "overtreated" dying is feared, untreated pain or emotional abandonment are equally frightening. Approaching Death reflects a wide-ranging effort to understand what we know about care at the end of life, what we have yet to learn, and what we know but do not adequately apply. It seeks to build understanding of what constitutes good care for the dying and offers recommendations to decisionmakers that address specific barriers to achieving good care. This volume offers a profile of when, where, and how Americans die. It examines the dimensions of caring at the end of life: Determining diagnosis and prognosis and communicating these to patient and family. Establishing clinical and personal goals. Matching physical, psychological, spiritual, and practical care strategies to the patient's values and circumstances. Approaching Death considers the dying experience in hospitals, nursing homes, and other settings and the role of interdisciplinary teams and managed care. It offers perspectives on quality measurement and improvement, the role of practice guidelines, cost concerns, and legal issues such as assisted suicide. The book proposes how health professionals can become better prepared to care well for those who are dying and to understand that these are not patients for whom "nothing can be done."
