Nursing Assessment Essay

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What is an important message for nurses caring for a patient dying of cancer? 150 words
Maintain the clients dignity. Nursing Care of the dying patient, is a unique and privileged nursing role, it is known as palliative care. Palliative care is provided to those whose illness cannot be cured . It helps people to live as well as possible while they manage their illness. Palliative care concentrates on maintaining quality of life by controlling physical symptoms, such as pain or sickness. It also looks at the emotional, social or spiritual needs that people may have. It supports both the person who is dying and their carers and family. Nurses provide education that will assist clients to understand, comply with cancer management regimens; and cope with the effects of cancer and related treatment. (Brown, D & Edwards, H. (2012, p308). Nursing care plans give guidance and structure on care of the patient, however, care of the dying patient requires an approach that focuses less on the medical intervention of a client and places an emphasis on the uniqueness of each individual and seeks to preserve their own sense of dignity. Affirming a patient’s value by seeing the person as they are or as they were, not just within the illness they have, helps patients to maintain their sense of dignity. Dignity is defined as “the quality or state of being worthy, honoured or esteemed” [Merriam Webster, 2010] Dignity places value on an individual. Particularly, in the end stages of life promoting dignity aims to provides the client and their family with choices and considerations that are fundamental to end of life care. End of life care involves more than nurses routienly attending nursing care and relieving symptoms of pain, Nursing care of the dying client encompasses the physical, psychological, social, spiritual and existential aspects of the patient’s end of life

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