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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Hospice Pioneer Florence Wald Has Died
The American Nurses Association announced the death of Florence Wald, RN, MSN, FAAN. Wald passed away Saturday, Nov. 8, at her home in Connecticut. She was 91. Florence Wald was a home health nurse, a professor and a dean, and a pioneer in the field of hospice nursing in the U.S. She studied hospice care in London and returned to the U.S. and developed a model for the holistic and humanistic care of the dying that continues to this day to influence hospice care in this country. She taught nurses that they had to understand the concepts and dynamics of death and dying in order to provide quality care to…