Managing symptoms at the end of life: a guide for non-palliative care nurses

Nurses, regardless of their area of practice, may have to care for a person in their last days and hours of life. However, many nurses outside of specialist palliative and end of life care settings do not feel adequately prepared for this. Nurses can usually obtain advice from specialists working in local hospices or palliative care centres, but they may still find it challenging to act on that advice if it is not underpinned by their own knowledge base. This article provides a guide to assist non-palliative care nurses in recognising dying and managing common symptoms at the end of life.