Introduction

Important Issues in the
   Care of the Dying

Your “Job” in the Death and
   Dying Process

Hierarchy of the Dying
   Person’s Needs

Living with Spiritual Distress

Overview on Death from a
   Traditional Jewish Perspective

The Role of Culture and Diversity

Signs of Impending Death

Resources

Action Ideas That Work

“Real” Intersection of Systems

Helping Individuals Face Important
   Decisions at the End of Life

Questions That are Good    Conversation Starters

Common Questions and Answers

Advance Care Planning

Advance Health Care Directive

Living Will

Durable Power of Attorney for
    Health Affairs

Hospice Care

Helping Survivors Deal With Grief

Questions and Answers About
    Health Care Directives

Handouts

References

Introduction

This module is based on documentation from a wide variety of experts and organizations concerned with end of life care. It can serve as your guide to helping your congregation’s members navigate the myriad of issues surrounding death and dying. In addition, it will provide you with suggestions to help individuals and their loved ones initiate conversations and make important decisions when dealing with a terminal illness.

As a congregational nurse, your role in end of life care is most likely not clinical in nature. Instead, it involves guiding the decisions of someone who is really sick, supporting them and their family, and helping the individuals to have a meaningful death experience. As individuals move closer to their final days, they search for more than physical healing and comfort. They also want to know they are loved, and search for “personal meaning”. As a nurse, you can't always make this search easier. But you can help the dying get ready, so that the way is paved for them and their loved ones to feel more content with the process.

Caring for a dying individual is often complicated, seldom easy, and personally demanding for congregational nurses. You are a real person with your own questions and realities surrounding death. You experience loss, frustration, and grief, just like everyone else. And, you may have known the individual and family for years, which can bring about conflicting emotions.

By the very nature of the topic, you may find the issues outlined in this module are difficult for you to read, or even to think about. Yet, as a congregational nurse, you must get comfortable enough with the end of life so that when a person dies, you can leave your grief behind for the moment to assist the family and friends in a way others cannot. As a trusted “confidant”, you can be a true source of courage, comfort, and healing.