of the team ; services are available 24 / 7 with emphasis on availability of medical and nursing skills ; family members receive bereavement follow up ; home care and inpatient care are coordinated ; patients are accepted on the basis of needs , not on ability to pay ; and there are structured systems for staff support and communication ( The Connecticut Hospice , 2022 ). These principles continue today to serve as the foundation for the many hospices created after The Connecticut Hospice .
Conclusion In addition to pioneering the hospice philosophy , Dame Cicely Saunders also introduced the idea of “ total pain ” which encompasses physical , emotional , social , and spiritual distress ( Richmond , 2005 ). This ideology found its way into how she approached hospice care — treating the patient holistically via effective pain management ; advocating for dignity , compassion , and respect ; and using rigorous scientific methodology in the testing of treatments to ensure validity and necessity ( Richmond , 2005 ).
Her work pushes us to ask ourselves and our patients , “ What does it mean to have a good death ?” Patients have the right to decide what kind of medical care they receive , and end-of-life decision-making is no exception . This question yields a different answer from each individual , but having these honest conversations with patients and their families allows the care team to understand their desires and to execute them to the best of our ability . In a time where the patient can feel as though they have lost all control , honoring their wishes is the most humane and caring intervention we can do , whether that means “ fighting ‘ til the end ” or “ accepting and letting go .” Should patients choose to embrace death , we can hope that they find comfort in end-oflife care as hospice nurses tenderly guide them to rest .
References
Krisman-Scott , M . A . ( 2003 ). Origins of hospice in the United States . Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing , 5 ( 4 ), 205 – 210 . https :// doi . org / 10.1097 / 00129191-200310000-00014
Nicoll , L . H . ( 2002 ). Milestones in modern hospice . Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing , 4 ( 4 ), 191 – 192 . https :// doi . org / 10.1097 / 00129191-200210000-00003
Richmond C . ( 2005 ). Dame Cicely Saunders . BMJ : British Medical Journal , 331 ( 7510 ), 238 .
The Connecticut Hospice . ( 2022 ). The history of Connecticut hospice . https :// www . hospice . com / history /
Lisa Phan is a recent graduate from San Diego State University . She is passionate about preserving patient dignity and advocating for patient autonomy .
The American Association for the History of Nursing ( AAHN ) is a professional organization open to everyone interested in the history of nursing . Originally founded in 1978 as a historical methodology group , the association was briefly named the International History of Nursing Society . The purpose of the Association is to foster the importance of history as relevant to understanding the past , defining the present , and influencing the future of nursing . For more information or to join AHHN , visit www . aahn . org .
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