Study Shows Nurses Have Positive Impact with End-of-Life Care

A good nurse at the bedside can help elevate a patient’s mood and minimize symptoms’ impact on slowing someone down. Some patients  may be scared of dying, yet feel uncomfortable voicing those fears to family members. “It is also important for nurses to continually assess the patients for pain and anxiety before expecting patients to pay attention to new information or try new coping skills,” said Garcia-Slanker, MSN, ARNP, advanced practice director in the Courtelis Center for Psychosocial Oncology at the University of Miami’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Another dimension to attentive nursing care is discovering what brings hope to a patient. “We’re here to transition hope to something that is possible,” said Brackett, the clinical nurse specialist at University of Colorado Hospital. “If there is no hope for cure, there is hope for pain control. If there is no hope for more curative treatments, there is hope for going home or for being with family or more a peaceful death. There is always hope.”

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