Health care providers caring for patients at the end of life (EOL) are faced with a multitude of emotions such as guilt, anger, sadness, and helplessness. Because of the negative impact of initiating EOL care (EOLC) to the pediatric population,…
The need to improve care for children and families at the end of life is acknowledged widely. This article reviews current research concerning end-of-life care in the pediatric ICU. How children die, how decisions are made, management of the dying…
Communication is a central aspect of nursing care and is especially important when pertaining to progressive illnesses and end of life. This article reviews basic palliative care terminology and outlines a variety of communication frameworks from the…
With the frequency of infant deaths in the United States, many attributed to congenital malformations and prematurity, the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurse must be adept at planning and providing perinatal palliative care. The NICU nurse…
Historically, the goal of care in a pediatric or neonatal intensive care unit was to do everything medically possible to cure illness or prolong life. When curative therapies were no longer appropriate, the approach was to turn to end-of-life care.…
