Now in its third edition, this landmark textbook has become the key resource for all nurses working in the field of palliative care. Edited by renowned nursing experts Betty Ferrell and Nessa Coyle and written by a dynamic team of internationally known authorities in nursing and palliative medicine, the book contains 78 chapters which cover the gamut of the palliative nursing world. The volume's scope is broad to incorporate principles of care from the time of the initial diagnosis of a terminal disease to the end of a patient's life and beyond.
This text is distinctively developed to highlight the nurse's vital role as part of an integrated palliative care team. Various care settings are discussed including the hospital, ICU, home care, and hospice settings. While the book does provide some information on disease and pathophysiology when appropriate, the chapters focus on the practical aspects of nursing care, including symptom assessment, patient teaching, family support, psychosocial aspects of palliation, and spiritual care. All of the chapters have been completely updated and reorganized to incorporate new research and emerging models of care. This updated volume includes over 10 new chapters, including an extensively update section on international models of palliative care. In addition, there are many new ethics discussions covering a range of topics from pediatric palliative care to the withdrawal of life sustaining treatment. The text is authoritative and fully evidence-based, without ever losing sight of the humanity and sensitivity necessary in palliative nursing.