End of life care and issues have become complicated at the mention of elderly patients. Especially with the emergence of hospice programs and palliative care units, a majority of elderly patients do not die as they wish to in their homes but instead taken to palliative care programs. The reason for this trend is hidden in the quality of life when a patient has an illness that can no longer be cured. The hospice and other palliative care programs are designed to support the dying process in a way that is compassionate.

This has become a growing trend in the nursing industry because of the need to utilize physical therapy very frequently in the hospice. The hospice is designed to assure the patient of physical safety, ability to extend his life and maximize on the quality of comfort in his last days while receiving emotional, physical and spiritual support at the end of his life. In as much as the hospital institution has designed a way of making the end of life process easier and comfortable, it is essential that nurses support their clients and support their desires to die in particular way (Erickson 2013).

As a nurse dealing with a patient in the end of life unit, I will ensure I treat my patients with compassion. Compassion in this sense involves communicating the methods of patient care clearly and sensitively, listening to the demands and wishes of my clients, identifying and meeting my clients’ communication needs and acknowledging the pain and stress with immediate care action. Before making any treatment decision, as a nurse I would involve other people especially on the side of the patient in decision making about care and respect for how they wish to end their life. As a nurse would keep the patient’s family updated in case of a change in the patient’s situation while looking out for support from colleagues and friends.