Study Guide

Objective

The student:

• Recognises their own attitude towards incurable illness and death
• Can explain the key issues of palliative care and terminal care
• Students can plan, carry out, assess and document the treatment and management of the symptoms and pain of patients in palliative care and can counsel the patient and their family members by taking individual needs into account
• Students will know the principles and modes of administering pain medication and how to apply unmedicated pain management methods
• Students can perform end-of-life care and postmortem care in a dignified manner by taking the family members of the deceased into account

Content

Contents

• Basics of palliative care, treatment policies and restrictions, predictive treatment plan
• Pain and symptomatic treatment in palliative care: total pain, pain indicators, pain medication, unmedicated treatment, shortness of breath, oral symptoms, constipation, fatigue, anxiety
• Supporting patients and loved ones: family-centred approach, psychological support, existential support, grief and hope
• Interaction and meetings: meeting patients and their family members, active interaction and communications
• End-of-life care: acknowledging that death is near, supporting the patient and their family members, nursing and symptomatic treatment of a dying patient, postmortem nursing
• Multiprofessional teamwork and self-reflection