The Paradox of Nursing Terminal Patients in a Belgian General Hospital

Abstract

This article presents an empirical analysis of how nurses deal with terminal and dying patients in two inpatient wards in a Belgian general hospital. The starting point for the analysis is the observation that nurses often feel dissatisfied with their terminal caregiving. These feelings are traced back to KUbler-Ross' psychodynamic conception of terminal care. Based on the everyday practice of nurses interacting with terminal patients, a broader definition of terminal care is suggested: Terminal care or care of dying patients includes specific physical, social, religious and psychological services, given to a terminal patient and the family or significant others, to obtain as high a level of comfort as possible. The implications of this definition are further examined for the problem of burnout and stress.