Historians have argued inconclusively for years over the prime reason for Confederate defeat in the Civil War. The book Why the North Won the Civil War outlines five of the most agreed upon causes of Southern defeat, each written by a highly esteemed American historian. The author of each essay does acknowledge and discuss the views of the other authors. However, each author also goes on to explain their botheration and disagreement with their opposition. The purpose of this essay is to summarize each of the five arguments presented by Richard N. Current, T. Harry Williams, Norman A. Graebner, David Herbert Donald, and David M. Potter. Each author gives his insight on one of the following five reasons: economic, military, diplomatic, social, and political, respectively.…
Rather than seeking a cure as with traditional western medical practices, hospice and palliative care puts an emphasis on the quality of life by concentrating on symptom, pain, and stress reduction to alleviate patient suffering through the use of a multidisciplinary approach. This medical approach to patient care is deemed appropriate for patients with acute and chronic diseases, as well as for patients at the end of their life. While the palliative care treatment methodology seeks to relieve symptoms without providing a curative effect on the underlying disease or cause, hospice care addresses only those who are considered terminal, that is, with a life expectancy of less than six months. With respect to advanced disease progression, concerns pertaining to physical, emotional, spiritual, and social issues are addressed with regard to the patient and their loved ones.…
1). In order for healthcare to truly advance and provide patient-centered care, it is necessary that our clinicians start to have end-of-life discussions with patients and be willing to provide care aimed at improving quality of life. It should all start with education about death and dying and continue with methods to further improve knowledge on options such as palliative care and the importance of discussing the patient’s…
A terminal illness can have a devastating effect, not only on the patient, but the family as well. Caring for the patient does not just involve physically caring for the patient, but rather involves the holistic care, which is “all nursing practice that has healing the whole person as its goal” (American Holistic Nurses’ Association, 1998). The nurse becomes the therapeutic partner, which involves the care of the mind, body, and spirit, and is at the forefront of this care. It involves the patient and the care of the family during this difficult time.…
Theories surrounding the understanding and meaning of death tend to focus on either religion or medicine. Religious attitudes to death are more abstract, while the medical world attempts to separate the living from the dead and the ill from the healthy, providing rationality in the face of demise (Seale 1998, p. 75). Seale (1998, p. 76) describes religion as a means of relieving death anxiety for the living; explaining that those who believe in an afterlife have a less dramatic relationship with death. Harding, Flannelly, Weaver and Costa (2005, p. 253) substantiate this idea with findings that show significantly less death anxiety and considerably more death acceptance amongst religious groups. Moreover Freud (cited in Koenig, 2001, p. 98) sates that “only religion can give meaning to life”. In contrast Seale (1998, p. 75) explains the medicinal outlook on death in two distinct veins, the first being the “best hope” for those who are suffering and are close to death and the second being a “reasonable account” for why all people must die. In addition Seale (1998, p. 77) places medicine and death in direct opposition stating that medicine seeks to cure the “natural death”. Contrastingly, Zola (2011, p. 487) states that the role of medicine within death is not concerned with saving lives, but instead with the controlling of terminally ill or elderly patients. This thought is ripe throughout work surrounding palliative care (see Conrad 1992), however some scholars see the implementation of medical care as simply providing support for those on the verge of passing (Zimmerman & Rodin, 2004, p. 122). In summary, both religious and medicinal approaches to understanding death by the living are still both extremely popular, however the array of works which document…
Hospice can be described as a philosophy of care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient’s symptoms while providing emotional and spiritual support for them and their family (Meirer, McCormick, & Lagman, 2015). The hospice model of care focuses on improving quality of life rather than prolonging it, and holistically embraces the principles of dying with comfort and dignity. This model uses an interdisciplinary team to develop an individualized plan of care that addresses all aspects of care and is based on the patient’s goals and cultural values (Meirer, McCormick, & Lagman,…
It is a necessity that nurses recognize their own feelings regarding death and dying and have a strong ethical framework in order to support the end-of-life wishes of their patients (Butts & Rich, 2013). Even if one is resolute in their own moral standing, cases such as Mr. T.’s may be emotionally exhausting.…
An important theory used in nursing practice is health-related quality of life. Each individual has a different idea of what might be considered a “good” quality of life, and this individual opinion needs to be taken into account when planning care for patients throughout their lifetime. One of the most important times in which this theory can be applied is when planning end of life care. Each patient needs to decide for themselves what they want in their final weeks, days, and hours, and healthcare providers need to help fulfill these wishes for every patient. Quality of life is also important when managing chronic disease, and patients need to be able to reach their optimal balance between living their lives and treating their disease.…
2) Some individuals have their own cultural and religious beliefs that are important to them. Some believe they will be going on to another life or existence, others believe that death is the end of their existence. Some individuals may believe in certain rituals that need to be carried out as death approaches, others just want to make the most of their final days. Religious and cultural needs of an individual receiving end of life care may mean they feel the need to attend a place of worship, be visited by a faith leader or read holy books. The cultural needs to be considered of a person receiving end of life care may mean they might request a certain type of food(s), music or reading material, they may also have a preference for the way they wish to be addressed. All these things help influence the individual’s end of life care, also key people such as; family, friends and all those involved in providing care for the individual. Help influence end of life care…
On December 13, 1937 in order to break the spirit of Chinese resistance, Japanese General Matsui Iwane ordered that the city of Nanking be destroyed. Much of the city was burned, and Japanese troops launched a campaign of atrocities against civilians. In what became known as the "Rape of Nanking," the Japanese butchered an estimated 150,000 male "war prisoners," massacred an additional 50,000 male civilians, and raped at least 20,000 women and girls of all ages, many of whom were mutilated or killed in the process.…
Dying is part of the normal process of living, but that isn’t to say that dealing with death is an easy feat. Thus, it is important for nurses to understand their patients’ cultural background in order to provide culturally competent and compassionate care at the end of life. Culturally competent medical care for the dying patient by nurses and healthcare providers alike is a challenging task, especially when religious values, practices, and beliefs influence the treatment decisions for patients as the end of life nears. The purpose of this paper is to discover cultural practices among the Jewish community at the end of life.…
End of life means the last hours of life or any period in the last year of life for a person with chronic illness. People in the last years of life require health and social care from health institutions and at home to ensure smooth transitions. End-of-life includes Palliative care. Palliative care focuses on pain management, other symptoms and providing psychological and emotional support to the affected patients and the people close to them. The main aim of end-of-life care is to provide support for the people who have advanced progressive and incurable illnesses to live well until the time of death. Care can be delivered by different people each with a role to play in the affected individuals. There is family, friends, and specialist in palliative care. End-of-life care is important and should be easy to…
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…
The end of one’s life, for many people, is not easy. It can be extremely painful. Some doctors, who have treated people who were terminally ill and dying, say that sometimes it can be gruesome. At times to the point that,…
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…