Nursing and Palliative Care

Exemplary nursing is integral to meeting the growing demand for palliative care. Driven by population aging and the increasing burden of chronic, noncommunicable diseases, palliative nursing has never been in greater demand. Palliative nursing is committed to addressing the holistic physical, psychological, emotional, cultural, social, practical, spiritual, and informational) aspects of a person’s health and well-being (Fitch, Hosp Q. 3(4):39–46, 1999). This chapter provides an overview of the role of nursing in the context of contemporary interdisciplinary specialists and primary palliative care. It also explores the key constructs underpinning palliative nursing, the core competencies and capabilities of specialist and primary palliative nursing, and how these can be applied to provide the best evidence-based person-centered palliative care, regardless of care setting.