Introduction Hospice care serves as a unique specialty of nursing by focusing on providing comfort and support to patients nearing the end of their lives. While deeply fulfilling, this field presents nurses with an array of ethical dilemmas that require thoughtful consideration and empathy. In this article, we will explore the 7 ethical dilemmas in hospice care and discuss effective strategies for managing them. Truth-Telling and Patient Autonomy In healthcare ethics, one of the fundamental principles is respecting patient autonomy. However, the dilemma of truth-telling often arises in hospice care. The question of how much to disclose to patients about their prognosis, especially when they prefer not to know, presents…
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Changing focus from withdrawal of care to comfort care
With so much death and debility caused by the Coronavirus COVID-19 over the past 9-12 months the terms “withdrawing care” or “withdrawal of care” have become notorious in health care. They’re such harsh terms for such a sacred path. The end of life should be calm and comfortable and peaceful and not feel like a dark and suddenly hopeless change of focus. Death is not an uncommon factor with COVID-19. Over 356,000 deaths have occurred in the US alone, and the staggering rate of new cases has reached over 200,000 every day in the last weeks of December and continues to rise in 2021. Nurse burnout is skyrocketing with escalating…