Nursing Care of the Terminally Ill Patient

Nursing Care of the Terminally Ill Patient

Many patients suffer unnecessarily when they do not receive ad-equate attention for the symptoms accompanying serious illness. Careful evaluation of the patient should include not only the physical problems but also the psychosocial and spiritual dimen sions of the patient’s and family’s experience of serious illness. This approach contributes to a more comprehensive under-standing of how the patient’s and family’s life has been affected by the illness and will lead to nursing care that addresses the needs in every dimension.