A Good Life/A Good Death Atul Gawande’s book Being Mortal and the corresponding Frontline Program described many examples of individuals being diagnosed with terminal illnesses and how they and the medical professionals responded to their diagnoses. I was surprised to learn that Gawande, who is an oncologist, and many of his colleagues did not want to tell their terminally ill patients that they are dieing. I understand that informing someone that they are dying would not be a pleasant task to undertake, however I thought that doctors were comfortable engaging in these difficult conversations because it is part of their job. Instead it seems that doctors are perhaps slightly in denial of what their profession can do to cure patients, which…
1.1 Caring for patients at the end of life is a challenging task that requires not only the consideration of the patient as a whole but also an understanding of the family, social, legal, economic, and institutional circumstances that surround patient care.…
The team should be knowledgeable to give proactive care, understand the patient's preferences and forgive conflicts. The process of truth telling in advanced cancer or any other terminal illness can be a difficult task. Whenever a patient is too moribund and not in a suitable mental stage, the family carers are required to give informed consent. The doctor and nurse in the palliative care team have to build the communication with a responsible family carer so that confidentiality and dignity for patient's last stage are maintained.[1,2] Communication is meant to deal with ethical questions regarding two fundamental aspects of Palliative Care: To explain the concept of a good death and to resolve the conflicting needs of patient vis-à-vis family.[8]…
introduce talking about the loss and encourage the grieving person to ventilate and understand the…
The family members play an important role and helping care for the patient helps them with the grieving process while providing a supportive environment to express their grief while coping with their feelings (Davidson, 2010). The second intervention would to have been to take a moment to request a chaplain or ask some one to request one for the family to talk to them about what is happening and how they are coping with this situation and if there is a need for spiritual counseling for them or the patient. This gives the family members a chance to express the desire to have any rituals performed for the patient. Also, to help them cope more effectively with the psychological and emotional stain of their family member’s illness and the dying process (Davidson, 2010). Last, the third intervention would be getting the family a list of some activities that the family members can do that will help facilitate with the anticipatory grieving and dealing with the feelings of grief. Being active gives the family members a purpose and helps them to make sense of what is happening. This helps with reshaping their lives and find new meaning in life without their family member (Davidson,…
How do Steinbeck and Hurston explore the motifs of creation and destruction also present in As I Lay Dying? Why are these elements so significant to all three authors? How does the presence of these elements reflect each author’s perspective of life in Modern America (approximately 1910-1945)? Do you see these elements in any of the other pieces we’ve read this year? Could they be read as the roots of these issues in Modern texts?…
The patient did not choose to be in hospital or clinic , but was forced to by life circonstances.Knowing the fact we are all subject to life events it is important that we show compassion to ward those who need it the most when it is need it. Help the patient feel humain again do not count the patient has a case number let’s the patient participate in the decision about his or her life.Even though they may not understand the medical terminology treat them with respect, call them by their name , recognize they may even be angry with me as a nurse but with patience in an come response I can ease their fears.Be empathetic is to do for orther what I would like them to do for…
It is important to educate healthcare staff about advanced directives. According to Jeong and Higgins and Mcmillan (2010) "In hospital setting, not surprisingly, people do not want to talk about end-of-life care plans at the commencement of a life-threatening illness". This may be a result of fear of rejection, lack of knowledge, or conflict with the patient or family. When the staff has appropriate knowledge of advanced directives they can clear up any myths or concerns that patients or family members may have.…
When discussing a fatal illness or disorder, speak in third person; never suggest the patient is dying because that would imply that the healthcare provider wishes the patient would die. Also, if the patient does die, then the provider is thought to have evil powers…
Traditionally the family must be involved from the start, to deal with any terminal illness. Some families, relative and friends may wish to prevent the communication of the diagnosis and prognosis from medical professionals to the dying person. The families of a few patients insist on being informed of bad news first, but the patient is usually told as well. Emotions may be displayed openly. For instance; anger, despair, depression. This is an acceptable means of behavior and is sometimes expected. Anger may sometimes be directed towards health care workers.…
Palliative care should support the person to achieve a quality of life until death. The person’s independence should be maintained for as long as possible to promote their self-esteem and they should be treated with dignity and respect at all times. Good communication is essential when providing palliative care. It is important that carers and other team members listen to the person and learn about any concerns, fears or anxieties they may have. Fears people have can include suffering a painful death, dying alone, not getting to say goodbye, leaving the family without a provider and fear of losing their independence. Family members, friends and carers can often feel frustrated if the person refuses treatment and feel helpless when all treatment…
End of life medical issues are a very sensitive subject for doctors, patients, and family members. Some support the patients’ right to terminate their own life. Euthanasia loosely called physician assisted suicide is when one takes deliberate action to end life when faced with persistent suffering and certain death (Medical News Today, 2012).Many feel that patients should not have to suffer unjustly when faced with serious pain and debilitating illness. Often times it is just as difficult for family members to stand by and watch loved ones suffer. As someone that has witnessed both my grandmothers die on hospice care in the last six months, I know that watching someone die can be more painful than losing them all together. With as much compassion as I have for people in pain, I do not believe people have the right to end their lives whenever they chose. I oppose euthanasia and physician assisted suicide (PAS) because I believe that it is a doctor’s duty to keep patients alive, it may create financial and ethical issues when it comes to patients and insurance companies, and God should be the only one who decides when ones journey has been completed.…
There are also patients who are not able to speak for themselves and do not have an advanced directive that can carry out the patient’s wishes. This is another major barrier that could mean life or death for a patient. An advanced directive is a legal document of the person who is to make the decisions for the patient’s end of life care. If there is no advanced directive, the decisions are made according to the state statue. The closest relative available may be appointed to make these decisions. As an APN we must encourage the patients and their families to prepare before these emergency situations occur (Hamric & Delgado, 2009).…
Nobody wants to die, but death is an inevitable and complex phenomena. To say goodbye to loved one is always difficult. In some cases, it is harder when death comes sooner than later by some serious diagnosis. I think the most important point that a health-care professional needs to consider on the subject of death, dying or grieving is to respect the wishes of patients and families. Health-care professionals should provide training and education about death, dying, and bereavement to the families. Also, healthcare providers should be familiar with the ethics and cultures of the patients and families which they belong to. Death, dying or grieving processes can be culturally or traditionally different among patients. “Some physicians can keep…
End of life care is one of the most taboo topics in American society as it requires those involved to acknowledge that their lives will eventually come to an end. Planning for such an outcome can be difficult but ultimately it is necessary in order to save others from dealing with the burden of end of life care while unprepared. As a nurse it is especially important to have a firm grasp of the many different factors that weigh in decisions related to end of life care and be ready to assist both the patient and his or her family in any way needed when that time may come. A careful examination of the resources available in a community to assist with this care, the gaps in care prevalent in American society today, the cultural…