Includes bibliographical references and index.

End-of-life care: a historical perspective -- Assessing holistic needs -- Responding to questions about the end of life -- Making difficult decisions using ethical and legal frameworks -- Calling in the palliative care team -- Managing physical symptoms -- Discharging patients approaching the end of life -- Knowing when a patient is in the last days of life -- Care after death -- Sudden or unexpected death -- Supporting family and friends -- Resolving my own feelings after a patient has died.

This very accessible, straightforward book helps to allay those concerns and enables pre-registration students to prepare confidently for the challenges they will face when they are caring for dying patients and supporting their families. Each chapter is based on a different and realistic scenario - reflecting a range of circumstances - to demonstrate the essential generic knowledge and skills they need to develop, and draws out the important practical and theoretical issues students should consider and address if patients and their families are to receive the best possible care.--pub. desc. End of life care and palliative care is core to undergraduate nursing training. Packed with case studies and action points for student reflection, this is only book on the market targeted specifically at nurses and is more succinct than the competing titles which are suitable for those on medical degrees.