[Hospice palliative care is a universal value and the essence of nursing]

This article uses four examples to illustrate the recent rise of hospice palliative care as a universal value. These examples include the story of Dame Cecily Saunders, the pioneer of the palliative care movement in the U.K.; the national healthcare plan currently promoted by United States' President Obama; a survey on the topic of quality of death in 40 countries conducted by the Lien Foundation (Singapore); and the story of the Hospice Movement in Taiwan. This article further describes how hospice palliative care has changed the healthcare culture and presents the World Health Organization's definition of palliative care and the implications of this definition. Additionally, this article identifies the common palliative-care mistakes that have been made by the general public and by healthcare workers. Healthcare professionals must acquire essential relevant knowledge and skills in order to ensure that hospice palliative care addresses the needs of terminally ill patients adequately. Finally, the author describes a novel approach to instilling proper palliative-care concepts and practices that is entitled Life, Peace, Care, and Honor (LPCH or the "3344" concept).