03278     2200217   4500001002100000005001500021035002000036007000300056008003900059020002200098100002400120245005000144250000600194260003300200300002100233700001900254082001200273084001800285520274200303650001503045INLIS00000000000140820240213125542  a0010-0224000003ta240213                |          | |    a978-1-138-03037-40 aMargaret O’Connor1 aPalliative Care Nursing : A Guide to Practice  a2  aNew York :bCRC Press,c2003  avii. 377 :bilus0 aSanchia Aranda  a616.029  a616.029 MAR p  aPalliative care has been traditionally defined as ‘ . . . specialised health care of
dying people, aiming to maximise quality of life and assist families and carers
during and after death’ (PCA 1999). The long tradition of the hospice
movement attests to a commitment to care for people who are dying. More
recently, palliative care has developed into an active practice-based discipline
aimed at improving the care of those who are facing the end of their lives.
Palliative care now begins before the traditionally understood dying phase of
care, and has become a multidisciplinary practice involving interactions with
other relevant parts of the health-care system.
Wherever palliative care is practised, it is founded on the following values
and principles (PCA 1999):
? the dignity of the patient and family;
? compassionate care of the patient and family;
? equity in access to palliative-care services;
? respect for the patient, family, and carers;
? advocacy on behalf of the expressed wishes of patients, families, and
communities;
? pursuit of excellence in the provision of care and support; and
? accountability to patients, families, and the wider community.
The success of the first edition of Palliative Care Nursing suggests that the
original goal of developing a book that would make palliative care accessible to
nurses in all health settings has been realised. This second edition has been
totally revised, rewritten, and redesigned to ensure that the book remains a
reliable and useful practice guide for nurses, especially for those who are new to
palliative care and those who work in other areas of health in which palliativecare skills are required.
Preface vii
Palliative Care Nursing
This complete revision and rewriting required a comprehensive re-evaluation
of the first edition. Feedback from nurses revealed that the clinically focused
chapters of the earlier edition were especially useful in guiding practice, and this
has resulted in an increased focus on clinical issues in this second edition. The
content of the new book has therefore been refocused to incorporate a wider
range of clinical problems faced by nurses in their care of dying people. Each of
these new chapters has been written by a nurse with recognised expertise in the
topic area and a commitment to providing recommendations that are firmly
evidence-based. Many of these authors are from countries other than Australia,
and this reflects a widening of content and readership from a predominantly
Australian focus to a wider international scope.
This book will empower nurses through the development of their clinical
knowledge, and will contribute to enhanced care for people who are dying. 4aPalliative