COMFORT CARE FOR A HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA PATIENT IN HOSPICE WARD

Background

Cancer is the major cause of illness and mortality in Taiwan. It is noteworthy that the psychosocial and spiritual needs of patients with terminal cancer patients often are neglected by families and healthcare providers in Taiwan.

Aim

The purpose of this study was to apply the Comfort Theory to explore the experience on comfort care of a patient with terminal HCC near the end of life in hospice ward.

Methods

Data were collected and evaluated based on Kolcaba9s theory of comfort. It directs nurses to assess physical, psycho-spiritual, sociocultural and environmental comfort needs of the patient; design holistic interventions to meet those needs; and measure the effectiveness of interventions to enhance the patient9s comfort.

Results

Four contexts of a terminal hepatocellular carcinoma patient experience are as follows: (a) Physical: abdominal distention resulted from ascites deterioration. (b) Psycho-spiritual: Fear of death anxiety resulted from the uncertainty of life-threatening. (c) Sociocultural: Altered family process resulted from family worry and conceals the patient9s condition. (d) Environmental: Un-homelike setting related to the limitation of hospital hardware.

Discuss

The caring experience of this study provide important information to health professionals while caring terminal cancer patients based on their comfort needs. Health professionals could design an individualised care plan, establish a trusting relationship, control symptoms, provide complementary medicine, reconnect family relationship and create a homelike atmosphere to meet patients9 needs.

Conclusion

The study will help health professionals to perceive psychosocial and spiritual needs and properly provide support for terminal cancer patients.