Compassionate Person-Centered Care for the Dying: An Evidence-Based Guide for Palliative Care Nurses

by Bonnie Freeman

A milestone resource for palliative care nurses that facilitates evidence-based compassionate and humanistic care of the dying

” a valuable contribution to the evolving field of palliative nursing care. It is coauthored by a model for this field, Bonnie Freeman, and brings to the bedside what her practice embodies – evidence-based clinically expert care…The CARES tool is a long-needed resource and we are all grateful to the authors for moving their passion to paper. It will touch the lives and deaths of patients, families and the nurses who care for them.”

– Betty Ferrell, PhD, RN, MA, FAAN, FCPN, CHPN

Professor and Director

Division of Nursing Research and Education

City of Hope National Medical Center

This groundbreaking reference for palliative care nurses is the first to provide realistic and achievable evidence-based methods for incorporating compassionate and humanistic care of the dying into current standards of practice. It builds on the author’s research-based CARES Tool, a reference that synthesizes five key elements demonstrated to enable a peaceful death as free from suffering as possible: Comfort, Airway Management, Management of
Restlessness and Delirium, Emotional and Spiritual Support, and Self-Care for Nurses. The book describes step-by-step how nurses can easily implement the basic tenets of the CARES Tool into their end-of-life practice. It provides a clearly defined plan that can be individualized for each patient and tailored to specific family needs, and facilitates caring for the dying in the most respectful and humane way possible.

The book identifies the most common symptom management needs in dying patients and describes in detail the five components of the CARES paradigm and how to implement them to enable a peaceful death and minimize suffering. It includes palliative care prompts founded on 29 evidence-based recommendations and the
National Consensus Project for Palliative Care Clinical Practice Guidelines. The resource also addresses the importance of the nurse to act as a patient advocate, how to achieve compassionate communication with patient and family, and barriers and challenges to compassionate care. Additionally, the book discusses how to translate current research into effective practice, and how to practice self-care. Case studies emphasize the importance of compassionate nursing care of the dying and how it can be effectively achieved.

Key Features:

Provides nurses with clear understanding of the most common needs of the dying

Supplies practical, evidence-based applications to facilitate and improve care of the dying.

Clarified the current and often complex literature on care of the dying

Includes case studies illustrating the most common needs of dying patients and how these are addressed effectively by the CARES tool

Based on extensive evidence as well as the National Consensus Project for Palliative Care Clinical Practice Guidelines.

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