Contemp Nurse
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Caring for families of the terminally ill is an important aspect of nursing care as nurses are considered the main health care professionals who are closest to families. This paper describes the experience of seven registered nurses caring for families of the terminally ill in Western Australia. Five of the nurses worked in an acute area at a public hospital; the other two nurses worked at long-term care settings at a private hospital. ⋯ The family's fear of losing their loved ones often resulted in conflicts, which required extra time from nurses. Moreover, some of the major barriers identified were time constraints and excessive workloads. Finally, some implications of the findings for registered nurses are discussed.