End-of-Life Communication: Nurses Cocreating the Closing Composition With Patients and Families

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-2018

Abstract

Communication is imperative for end-of-life decision-making; however, descriptions of key strategies used by nurses are missing. A phenomenological approach was used to interpret interviews from 10 hospice/palliative nurses. The overarching pattern is the closing composition. Key communication strategies/patterns include establishing context, acknowledging through attentive listening, making it safe for them to die, planning goals of care, and being honest. Essential is the awareness that nurse, patient, and family all hold expertise in the subject matter. It is imperative that pre-/postnursing licensure curriculum be expanded to include training in mutual influence communication practices and mentoring in the skill of orchestration.

Publication Title

Advances in Nursing Science

Volume

41

Issue

1

First Page

2

Last Page

17

DOI of Published Version

10.1097/ANS.0000000000000186

Publisher

Wolters Kluwer

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