Understanding patient and family: holistic assessment in palliative care

Abstract

Symptom relief in palliative care is dependent on the nurse undertaking a holistic general and symptom assessment and integrating these findings into a logical plan of care that can be evaluated against a set of negotiated goals. This article outlines the nature of the holistic assessment and how the establishment and maintenance of the therapeutic relationship can help the nurse to relieve distress, restore hope and enable the patient and family to achieve a good quality of life. Careful attention to the fundamentals of nursing practice, coupled with effective communication, will be shown to enhance the prospect of the patient, their family and the nurse feeling valued and enriched by encounters associated with symptom relief.

An Australian investigation of emotional work, emotional well‐being and professional practice: an emancipatory inquiry

“…Nurses’ stories highlight the stressful nature of their work, identifying a need to guard against personal wounding. In an era that emphasises holistic client care (Maher & Hemming 2005, Letvak 2006), nurses do not always find themselves working in environments that promote holistic care of staff. ‘It is sadly ironic that the seeds of healing may be denied in environments that are supposed to be dedicated to the healing of others’ (Jackson 2004, p. 199).…”

Challenges in Advanced Dementia

“…The relationships fostered between the health professionals, the person with advanced dementia and their family may facilitate healing restoring a degree of harmony and balance. If a holistic care is not adopted significant levels of distress and suffering may be experienced by the person and their families (Maher & Hemmings, 2005) which may manifest as behavioural issues in the person with advanced dementia and unhealthy bereavement in family members. Practising in this way demonstrates a shift of care from being disease orientated to prioritising the needs of the person and their family above all else (O'Brien King & Gates et al, 2007).…”

Family caregivers’ perceptions of an Irish palliative day-care unit: A qualitative descriptive study

“…The nurse in palliative day-care empowers family caregivers' [23], establishes an engaged relationship [1,23], provides information, knowledge and skills [23,24], affirms self-worth [23], and provides reassurance and hope [1,25]. Effective communication utilising verbal and non-verbal skills, personal attributes and knowledge is necessary when supporting caregivers' [4,26].…”