Let's talk about end-of-life care | Caring with Confidence: The Code in Action | NMC

Summary

This video highlights the crucial role healthcare professionals, including nurses, midwives, and nursing associates, play in providing end-of-life care. It emphasizes the importance of compassion, skill, and flexibility in meeting the needs of both patients and their families. Whether dealing with grief or joy, professionals must adapt to individual, cultural, and spiritual preferences to ensure a dignified and peaceful death. The video underscores that providing a 'good death' is a privilege, and healthcare workers are essential in making these moments as comfortable and meaningful as possible.

Takeaways

• 😀 Nurses, midwives, and nursing associates play an active role in the defining moments of people's lives, especially at the end of life.
• 😀 End-of-life care involves both moments of joy and relief, as well as sadness and grief, requiring genuine compassion from healthcare professionals.
• 😀 The professional code of nurses and midwives provides essential values and principles to guide end-of-life care in all settings.
• 😀 Professionals may have extensive experience in end-of-life care or may work in settings where death is rare, but all must know the fundamentals of good care during this time.
• 😀 There is only one chance to get end-of-life care right, and it’s important to get it right for both the patient and their loved ones.
• 😀 Memories of a poor death can be painful and long-lasting, so ensuring a good death is vital.
• 😀 A good death can be facilitated by ensuring the patient feels comfortable, reassured, and able to make choices for as long as possible.
• 😀 Healthcare professionals should be flexible, accommodating, and respectful of cultural and spiritual sensitivities when caring for individuals at the end of life.
• 😀 This time requires flexibility to meet unconventional requests, with an emphasis on finding ways to accommodate patients' wishes.
• 😀 Enabling someone to die with dignity is a privilege, and not every professional can offer this level of care, but healthcare professionals are trained to do so.

Q & A

Why is caring for people at the end of life considered a defining moment for healthcare professionals?

Caring for people at the end of life is considered a defining moment because healthcare professionals are active participants during some of the most significant and emotional moments in people's lives, offering expert care, support, and compassion.

What emotions might healthcare professionals encounter while providing end-of-life care?

Healthcare professionals may encounter emotions such as joy, relief, sadness, and grief. They need to connect with patients and families during both joyous and difficult moments, offering comfort and support.

How does the professional code of healthcare workers relate to end-of-life care?

The professional code provides a framework of values and principles that guide healthcare practice, including specific requirements for providing compassionate, ethical care at the end of life.

How can a healthcare professional be prepared for end-of-life care?

A healthcare professional can be prepared through years of experience, specialized education, and awareness of the unique needs of individuals at the end of life. However, even in settings where death is less common, knowing the core principles of end-of-life care is essential.

Why is it important to get end-of-life care right, even if it happens only once?

End-of-life care is significant because it impacts not only the patient but also their loved ones. There is only one opportunity to get it right, and poor experiences can leave lasting, painful memories.

How can healthcare professionals contribute to a 'good death'?

Healthcare professionals contribute to a 'good death' by ensuring the patient is comfortable, reassured, and empowered to make choices, all while showing genuine compassion and respect for their dignity.

What role does flexibility play in providing end-of-life care?

Flexibility is essential in end-of-life care as healthcare professionals must adapt to unexpected requests, cultural and spiritual sensitivities, and changes in the patient's or family's wishes to provide the best possible support.

Why is it important for healthcare professionals to recognize cultural and spiritual sensitivities during end-of-life care?

Recognizing cultural and spiritual sensitivities ensures that patients and their families receive care that aligns with their values and beliefs, making the end-of-life process more meaningful and respectful.

What makes enabling someone to die with dignity a privilege for healthcare professionals?

Enabling someone to die with dignity is a privilege because it requires compassion, skill, and professionalism to ensure the patient experiences comfort and respect during their final moments, which not everyone can provide.

How does the healthcare professional’s approach impact the memories of the patient's family after death?

The approach of healthcare professionals directly affects the memories of the patient's family. When care is compassionate and skilled, families are reassured that their loved one was treated with dignity, which can make the loss easier to bear.