An exploratory study to determine the emotional needs of terminally ill patients

• Main Author: Turnage, June Hudnall
• Format: Others
• Published: VCU Scholars Compass 1971
• Subjects: Medicine and Health Sciences
• Online Access: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/5623; https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6700&context=etd

The problem to be investigated is: What are the emotional needs of patients, who are approaching death, as revealed by the patients themselves? The review of literature pointed out that almost all the data published about the dying patient were the thoughts of those around him rather than his own thoughts. Since the patient is our concern, it would seem logical to ask him what his needs are. Nurses recognize as one of their responsibilities of assisting a patient toward a peaceful death when curative goals are beyond grasp. If the patient dies and his needs are not met, or his distress unrelieved, how could his death be peaceful? The investigator feels that one way by which death could be made more peaceful is by ascertaining the patient's emotional needs and trying to meet them.