| Theme |
From the point of view of individualization and standardization -- New role of nursing and diversification of renal replacement therapy |
| Title |
Role of nursing professions in end-of-life care for dialysis patients and their families |
| Author |
Mioko Narita |
Department of Nursing, Medical Corporation Yamagata AISHINKAI Shonai Amarume Hospital Hemodiolysis Center |
| [ Summary ] |
Dialysis patients and their families face occasions at various times during the course of dialysis therapy from initiation to termination. At these times they must make decisions which affect patients' well-being. Nurses, who provide long-term care to these patients, are responsible for providing support to them to ensure that their wishes are respected and reflected in the end stages of their lives. This support may take a number of forms such as seeking out opportunities to ask patients if they wish to continue therapy and where and under what circumstances they wish to spend the rest of their lives. We must also discuss methods which will allow them to express their wishes to the persons closest to them. We must also assist the families in mitigating their anxiety and ensure that they will not regret how the final days are spend with the patient. However, in many cases these important issues are neither talked about in daily healthcare nor fully discussed as a social issue. We would like to reconsider the meaning of dying a dignified death in today's society where peoples' beliefs and values are diverse. |