THE PARADOX OF NURSING TERMINAL PATIENTS IN A BELGIAN GENERAL-HOSPITAL

This article presents an empirical analysis of how nurses deal with te rminal and dying patients in two inpatient wards in a Belgian general hospital. The starting point for the analysis is the observation that nurses often feel dissatisfied with their terminal caregiving. These f eelings are traced back to Kubler-Ross' psychodynamic conception of te rminal care. Based on the everyday practice of nurses interacting with terminal patients, a broader definition of terminal care is suggested : Terminal care or care of dying patients includes specific physical, social, religious and psychological services, given to a terminal pati ent and the family or significant others, to obtain as high a level of comfort as possible. The implications of this definition are further examined for the problem of burnout and stress.