Psychological aspects of nursing care for dying patients

Nursing care for patients with terminal conditions is one of the leading problems in health care. Health care specialists caring for the dying patient are under enormous psychological stress. Before death the patient requires medical and family support because death provokes feelings of fear or anxiety. During nursing care for dying patients the most important issue is to help people to live fully up to the last moment of his life. The aim of the research – to analyse psychological aspects of nursing care for dying patients. Material and methods of the research: 250 health care specialists (doctors, nurses) filled-in a questionnaire consisting of a Frommelt‘s approach to nursing care for dying patients, modified Collet-Lester scale of death fear, and needs of nursing care for dying person. Results and conclusions: the vast majority (92.4 percent) of respondents were religious, have had experienced bereavement, have had care for person with incurable illnesses and have knowledge about death. The most important concern of respondents related to the dying process of themselves or their close relatives was due to the pain during dying. The majority of respondents (93.1 percent) especially with higher education have had a good attitude towards nursing care for dying patients. Respondents with experience of bereavement more often noted that families caring for the patient with incurable disease need for emotional support and that close relatives should participate during the patient dying process. Respondents who have had work experience with the dying patients significantly more often believed that possibility of dependence on painkillers should not be considered when it comes to the dying person. According to them, the family members who remain with the dying patient disturb the nursing care. Respondents who have had knowledge about death significantly more often noted that the care for patient‘s family members should continue throughout the period of mourning and bereavement, and indicated that they are upset when their patient ceases to believe that he will recover. Respondents who felt threatened by the current bereavement and are more worried about their own death significantly more noted that the stress is the most common psychological problem in the end of life. Respondents who were more worried about their own death, the loss of interest of the dying patient, fear, depression, anxiety and in particular stress seemed to be more frequent problems of nursing care, than those who were less worried