End-Of-Life Care: Clinical Practice Guidelines for Nurses

Here are the guidelines and tools that the advanced practice nurse needs to provide comprehensive end-of-life care. A review of the end-stage disease processes provide the background for understanding the multiple symptoms experienced by individuals at the end of life. Clinical practice guidelines offer in-depth discussions of the pathophysiology of 17 different symptoms, assessment data to collect when evaluating and monitoring these symptoms, interventions for specific symptom management, and suggestions for patient and family teaching. In addition, a unit in the book is devoted is discussions of psychosocial issues, complementary therapies, and grief and grieving.Defines the evolving role of the advanced practice nurse in end-of-life care.Provides in-depth pathophysiology, assessment and interventions of symptoms based on disease trajectory.Describes normal dying as a healthy process through the support of an interdisciplinary team.Indicates suggestions for patient and family teaching.Presents extensive information on the use of complementary therapies in end-of-life care, including research-based evidence of their effectiveness as well as resources that are helpful for practice.Includes case studies at the end of chapters to reinforce the information presented.Describes psychosocial issues experienced by patients at the end of life and by their families.Reviews uncomplicated and complicated grief and mourning and provides suggestions for supporting families after a patient's death.