Palliative Care Essay

Nursing Care Practices in Palliative Care One significant attribute all nurses must share is a common interest in providing adequate, individualized care for every patient. Some patients may need more medical or psychological attention than others, but a caregiver should always strive to give the most comfortable form of treatment to promote the best quality of life for a patient while maintaining the patient’s dignity (Wilson, 2016). This is especially true during end-of-life care because caregivers have to practice effective decision-making and exceptional communication skills with the patient and family members about care preferences to promote positive patient outcomes (Doherty & Thompson, 2014).

Although with an increasing elderly population there is a shortage of quality palliative care in the healthcare community (Wilson, 2016). Studies show that a large majority of nurses are inexperienced and lack general knowledge in palliative care which is a major problem elderly patients encounter during end-of-life care (Wilson, 2016). Overall, end-of-life care is a challenging task that requires a therapeutic nurse-patient relationship involving effective communication, appropriate decision-making, and a transparent understanding of a patient’s preferences to achieve the best outcomes for the patient and family members. In order to discuss methods of care and situations in palliative care a case study involving a patient named Ella Eisenberg with multiple health complications will be used to further explain nursing practices during end-of-life

One important practice is creating and maintaining boundaries between the patient and family members because this will decrease the likelihood of confusion over roles and overstepping one’s boundaries in end-of-life care (Doherty and Thompson, 2014). One strategy to maintain a patient’s autonomy is actively involving patients in one’s own care plan (Wiechula, 2016). This will increase the patient’s level of trust with the healthcare staff, and it will also help them contribute to improving their own well-being and self-worth (Wiechula, 2016). Another helpful strategy is always incorporating advance care planning like Ella had filled out before she entered the hospice unit. This strategy of planning care ahead of time helps nurses create a care plan for the patient with ease and less complication while putting the patient at the center of care at end of life (Wilson,