EOL: Understanding the Process

The end of a person�s life can be one of the most important times in that life

�     Some die easily and comfortably

�     Others die with a great deal of suffering and distress

The ICN code of ethics for nurses states that nurses are responsible to promote health,to prevent illness, to restore health, and to alleviate suffering. 

Patients have special needs when they are at the end of their lives (called the end-of-life [EOL] period), and patient care during the EOL period consists of assisting with the physical, emotional, spiritual, and financial components surrounding impending death.

The EOL period usually involves worsening of chronic, advanced, progressive, or incurable conditions. Severely ill patients face uncertainty and emotional and spiritual challenges that can increase suffering.

Reference

McLean-Heitkemper, M. (2011). Palliative care at the end-of-life. In S. L. Lewis, S. Ruff-Dirksen, M. McLean-Heitkemper, L. Bucher,& I. M. Camera (Eds.), Medical-surgical nursing: Assessment and management of clinical problems (pp. 153-166). St. Louis, MO: Mosby.