Palliative Care, Research Paper Example

Introduction

Palliative care requires a high degree of knowledge regarding how to treat patients who are at the end of life and what is necessary for nurses to provide effective care and treatment at a high level. In addition, hospice care is often required for patients who are terminal and have a short time remaining to live.  Most importantly, patients must receive the appropriate care and treatment at this level that will facilitate greater comfort and compassion during a difficult period. Palliative care requires nurses to conduct interventions that are learned by experience with patients who have chronic diseases, as this is also a complex problem that necessitates ongoing care and treatment (Larsen & Lubkin, 2010). The concepts associated with chronic diseases are essential in treating patients in a palliative care setting, as well as those who require hospice care, as these tools are instrumental in supporting the needs and expectations of patients and their families.

Body

Palliative care services enable patients who have serious illnesses to experience greater quality of life and create greater longevity in some patients (Quill & Abernethy, 2013). Pallative care, as defined by the World Health Organization (2015), identifies the care and treatment that is established upon diagnosis and supports comprehensive care that embraces spirit, body, and mind, as well as familial engagement regarding the individual’s health. It also provides a means of exploring the dynamics of a patient’s overall physical, mental, and psychological health and wellbeing with a multidisciplinary effort that is designed to engage family members and patients in plans of care that will have lasting benefits (World Health Organization, 2015). Palliative care service offerings may include such areas as family meetings and dynamics, specialty care, symptom management, and stress, among others (Quill & Abernathy, 2013).

Hospice care is a type of care that enables patients at the end of life to receive comprehensive and coordinated care and treatment that will promote comfort and alleviate pain. However, one of the primary objectives of hospice care is to engage nurses in administering care and treatment with the support of family members and with the knowledge and resources that will facilitate effective outcomes at a high level (Feudtner et.al, 2013). From this perspective, nurses must be prepared to effectively manage the needs of their patients and to provide comfort that will support their needs in a safe manner (Feudtner et.al, 2013). The coordination of care, whether it is in a hospice facility or in the home environment, must be optimized and engage nurses in expanding the knowledge and resources that are required to facilitate communication and discussions regarding medical care and treatment with patients and their family members (Feudtner et.al, 2013). It is expected that patients will be provided with the tools and resources that are necessary to achieve effective care and to be mindful of the difficulties of observing these patients at the end of life.

Conclusion

Palliative care and hospice care are often coordinated in different ways in order to provide patients at the end of life with options to alleviate their pain and to expand their level of comfort. Therefore, it is important for nurses to be successful in treating patients effectively with a comprehensive strategy to ensure that their needs are met without difficulties. These factors must demonstrate the importance of shaping an environment in which patient care and treatment will be effective in meeting patient care needs and in providing family members with much-needed support and guidance regarding the care strategies that are taking place. This process is instrumental in supporting patients through a very difficult period and in enabling them to be supported by a comprehensive strategy of care and treatment.

References

Feudtner, C., Friebert, S., Jewell, J., Carter, B., Hood, M., Imaizumi, S., & Komatz, K. (2013).

Pediatric palliative care and hospice care commitments, guidelines, and recommendations. Pediatrics, 132(5), 966-972.

Larsen, P.D., & Lubkin, I.M. (2010). Chronic Illness: Impact and Intervention, 7^th Edition. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Quill, T. E., & Abernethy, A. P. (2013). Generalist plus specialist palliative care—creating a more sustainable model. New England Journal of Medicine,368(13), 1173-1175.

World Health Organization (2015). WHO definition of palliative care. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/cancer/palliative/definition/en/