Assessment: Essay
Aim of assessment
The aim of this essay is to develop your understanding on how to provide the best possible end of life care to a hospitalised patient in an acute setting.
In Australia, the majority of people who die receive end-of-life care in the acute care setting. The overall aim of acute hospitals is to diagnose, treat and discharge a cured patient. In this context recognition of a patient requiring end-of-life care and provision of terminal care is frequently delayed. There are numerous common issues affecting the care of people at the end of their lives and the nurses responsible for delivering this care. Some of these issues include;
- pain management
- patient and family wishes being supported,
- information and support provided to patients and family,
- recognising dying, and
- knowledge of treatment.
Details -
Write an essay to explain the care requirements that affect the end of life care of people in an acute care setting and their family. Outline the issues that are faced by nurses who are responsible for delivering this care.
Getting started -
As an introduction to providing end of life care in the acute care setting access the document Safety and Quality of End-of-life Care in Acute Hospitals: A Background Paper.
Resources -
i. Examples may be available on the vUWS site.
ii. There are a number of textbooks and resources available through the Western Sydney University Library that may assist you. Please refer to the unit's vUWS site for specific unit resources.