Essay On End Of Life Care

1802 Words8 Pages
Everyone in the world will come to a point in their life that they are approaching death. Some people never see death coming. Every day people are involved in car accidents and never would have thought they wouldn’t make it through the day. However, as people approach old age they start to realize when their bodies are not what they used to be. As people approach the end of their lives different tasks and decisions need to be addressed with their loved ones and family members. Some decisions that have to be made could involve subjects of spiritual, legal, medical, or ethical nature. Some examples include, one wanting to have a priest present in the final days of their lives, or writing out advance directives such as a will. One could also want to have no pain leading to their death and want to request certain medications. The topic of end of life has many different categories that can be discussed. Certain things can make an end of life experience a positive one or negative. Health care professionals, family, or friends have to be involved in someone’s end of life plan for it to be successful. My research will identify and define the topic of pain management and medications and why they are important when caring for the elderly. Then I will explain the implications for patients and their treatment. Finally, I will discuss nursing interventions and issues related to medications and pain management. In end of life care, a nurses responsibility is to make the patient as comfortable as possible, manage any health complications with appropriate measures, and maintain their overall quality of life. Death could be a long or short process and nurses and other health care providers have to be prepared for anything. Managing a patient’s... ... middle of paper ... ...ed for the remainder of their life. They need to go through the steps of coming to terms with their fate and they cannot do it alone. Family support is crucial. People have more important things to do than suffer, like spend time with family members, reminisce on old times, and make arrangements for comfort. Patients need to have a support system of some sort. Being an advocate for the patient is the more important rule of nursing and should be carried out for everyone. When someone’s life is coming to an end, it is the nurse’s job to not let him or her fear death. Their spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical needs need to be met at all times. Nearing the end of life is a scary and tough road, and there are so many ways to make it just a little easier. A little support, a lot of love, and a caring team can make someone’s end of life experience a little easier.
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