Holistic nursing practice
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Hospice care is dedicated to alleviating the pain of dying people. In addition to physical, social, and psychological pain, religious or spiritual pain can add to the struggles of many patients. ⋯ Spiritual pain is rooted in shame leading a patient to abandon hope in God's love. It is resourced through bringing unconditional love to the patient's sense of self-hatred and inner criticism.
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Pain is an undertreated, understudied problem in the growing elder population. Clinicians need to consider the compelling evidence that a significant majority of this population experience pain that interferes with quality of life and normal functioning. The barriers to adequate pain management must be addressed and misconceptions corrected. ⋯ Pain assessment and reassessment need to be performed regularly and used in treatment selection. Consideration of physiologic changes that occur in the aged will guide choices of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic therapies. Pain assessment and treatment must be recognized as fundamental care issues.
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Paterson and Zderad's humanistic nursing theory can be used to meet the spiritual needs of terminally ill persons in the home setting. The spiritual needs, as identified by Highfield and Cason, are applied to the hospice patient. ⋯ These meetings contribute to fulfilling the spiritual needs of terminally ill persons. Hospice nurses practicing holistic nursing and using caring behaviors help dying persons develop a "more-being" in themselves as the triad of person, family, and nurse share the lived experiences.