Title : Could we, should we, can we? Ethical dilemmas in palliative and end of life care
Abstract:
Current ethical dilemmas met by nurses in hospitals, hospices, primary care and the community are increasing as a result of advances in technology and medicines over recent years. Working in all of these areas, nurses will be caring for patients who are at the end of life or on the borderline of life; and at a point where decisions need to be made about the continuation or discontinuation of treatments. The presentation will focus on some of the common ethical dilemmas faced by nurses and the approaches that they can use, in collaboration with their multi-disciplinary teams, to address these challenges in order to think about the implications of the decisions and about whether they could, should and ultimately can, provide the care. Differences in practice across the globe, with both ethical and legal considerations, will be discussed.
