Issues of suffering in palliative care

Nurses working in palliative care are confronted with the suffering of patients and their relatives on a daily basis. Nurses, as practitioners of holistic care for the terminally ill, are aware of the need to care for ‘the family, the mind, and the spirit as well as the body’ (Saunders, 1965). This article explores various beliefs about the meaning of suffering. The consequences of terminal disease can result in varying degrees of suffering for patients within the palliative care setting. Suffering can present a major problem for patients whose time is limited and nurses are frequently faced with the difficult task of helping patients come to terms with their inner turmoil. Although all suffering is subjective and difficult to quantify, the nurse can have a positive effect on alleviating suffering in terminally ill patients.