Compassionate Care: Managing Grief, Loss, and End-of-Life in Nursing

In this episode, we explore the profound role of nurses in supporting patients and families through grief, loss, and end-of-life care. We begin by discussing how cultural assessments help nurses identify the significant values, beliefs, and practices of patients experiencing death, grief, and loss. You’ll also learn about the concept of “family as patient” and how this affects nursing practice.

We delve into the influence of spiritual practices on health and the nursing interventions that promote spiritual well-being. Additionally, we highlight individual coping strategies for managing stress, as well as the nurse’s role in helping patients navigate grief, loss, and dying.

The episode also covers key interventions for symptom management at the end of life, the differences between palliative and hospice care, and how nurses can care for the body after death. Finally, we examine how nurses manage their own grief and emphasize the importance of self-care when caring for dying patients.

This episode offers valuable insights for those committed to providing compassionate and holistic care during one of the most challenging aspects of nursing practice.

All information in this podcast is sourced from ATI and the 2023 edition of Fundamentals of Nursing by Taylor.