Patient

Person-Centred EOL Case Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Person-Centred EOL Case Introduction End-of-life care is among the most professionally demanding engagements in present-day healthcare service provision. That is because one needs insightful input of expertise, experience, and evidence-based insight to overcome some of the challenges faced in EOL cases (Puchalski et al., 2014). Partly, the challenges in this care category stem from the need for a healthcare professional to offer the ultimate comfort to a patient who nears the end of his/her life (Murray & Twycross, 2019). This analysis explores EOL care using a case study. The case provides a real-life scenario of how healthcare practitioners should identify obstacles, analyse various EOL cases, assess the associated ethical dilemmas, and reflect on the associated outcomes. In this case, emphasis is put on assessing the roles of the attending TN in terms of his/her decision-making and the scope of care offered to the patient. The analysis offers the student nurse (TSN) an insight into the responsibilities that he/she may have in resolving the patient’s pain, monitoring the patient’s controlled analgesia, and overall monitoring and administering care appropriately. Patient Background and Condition Notably, this case offers a real-life clinical scenario of an EOL case in a healthcare facility. Hence, the case adheres to the Nursing and Midwifery Council's (NMC) Code of Conduct (NMC, 2018), which emphasizes the confidentiality of any patient. In this case, the patient’s confidentiality will be masked with the pseudonym “Mrs. Smith.” Mrs. Smith had a history of metastatic breast cancer. At the time of the presentation, her condition had spread to her lungs and bones. Mrs. Smith was admitted to the facility after experiencing a significant deterioration in her health. That is, she experienced severe pain besides showcasing respiratory distress. The patient also manifested reduced mobility. The facility exercised its mandate and offered Mrs. Smith the care that she needed. However, despite the efforts, her condition continued to deteriorate. The unchanging condition of the patient led to a decision to transition her care to foster comfort and quality of life in the remaining days. Exploring the Patient’s EOL Status Metastatic breast cancer is stage IV breast cancer that encompasses the spread of cancer cells beyond the breasts. Often, metastatic breast cancer constitutes the spread of the cancer cells into the nearby lymph nodes and other parts of the body including the bones and the lungs. With such progression, the patient experiences complex symptoms and may require interdisciplinary approaches to manage both the physical and emotional aspects of care. In such cases, the clinical decision-making process can accommodate various steps including diagnosis and prognosis, transition to palliative care, and symptom management. Care Needs Mrs Smith needed multifaceted approaches to address her various needs. The needs were explored and addressed through multifaceted teams with industry standards, evidence-based knowledge, and care expertise. Mrs. Smith’s needs were addressed as follows: Pain Management Pain management const...