Essentials for the Hospice Nurse: A Concise Guide to End-of-Life Care

Provides comprehensive, current information for addressing the physical, psychological, and spiritual needs of hospice patients and their families.

Substantially updated and expanded, the second edition of this quick-access reference for hospice nurses continues to deliver the most current information on the clinical and administrative duties of the hospice nurse. It encompasses important regulatory changes and milestones, providing timely information on cultural issues, special communication considerations, and hospice cares enduring growth.

This resource provides new content on levels of care, assessment and symptom management, and occupational stress, burnout, and self-care. New treatment guidelines and algorithms are included, as are updates on quality measures, the reimbursement schedule, compliance initiatives, and electronic documentation with specific examples.

An indispensable clinical resource, the book is a valuable reference for nurses who are seeking to specialize in hospice, those who work in long-term care settings, post-acute care settings, acute care setting, and those who are seeking to enhance their knowledge of end-of-life care within other specialties.

New to the Second Edition::

• Includes new regulatory changes/milestones, such as The National Quality Forum New Priorities for Action 2019
• Provides updated information about levels of care, particularly the Last 7 Days rule from Medicare
• Covers the use of cannabis, non-pharmacological pain management interventions, care of the dying patient, and post-mortem care
• New chapters are included on the hospice nurses role as case manager, patient discharge, religious and cultural influences on end-of-life care, pain assessment and interventions, wound care, care of the dying patient, and post-mortem care.

Key Features::

• Reflects key competencies for the hospice nurse as designated by the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association
• Delineates clinical and administrative responsibilities of the hospice nurse
• Simplifies complex information such as Medicare regulations and compliance
• Provides screening tools for depression, anxiety, and wound risk
• Includes the Palliative Performance Scale and the Karnofsky Performance Scale
• Serves as a concise study resource for certification