The Nurse and the Dying Patient

An attempt to conquer and eradicate disease is probably a myth. When prevention of disease or curative measures fails, people respond to the "hopeless" situation in their personal way, through either rejection or denial. Usually the chronically or terminally ill patients are neglected as people feel it is waste to spend money, energy and time on their care. More often the ultimate rejection is the denial that such people need the skills and expertise of modern health care. These patients are left to the care of their families, without appropriate professional support. The patient experiences depression as their needs are not met. The care takers find it increasingly difficult to care of the terminally ill person and reacts by seeking avenues for custodial care. The patient may experience being unloved, unwanted and burdensome. In this atmosphere, family members may wish patient to die as early as possible. Few family members may experience guilt. This may also be due to increasing nuclear families and urban life¹.