Dehydration in the terminal patient: perception of hospice nurses

Recent discussion about the care of the terminally ill patient has focused on the appropriateness of withholding and withdrawing food and fluid and on the discomfort of the dehydrated state. Evidence is mounting that suggests that dehydration in this group of people is not painful, but rather may be more comfortable than hydration by means of IV fluids or enteral and parenteral feedings. This study examines the relationship between the experience of hospice nurses in observing terminal dehydration and their perception of this state. The scores for the degree of positive perception of dehydration are compared for the experienced and nonexperienced groups of nurses. This study suggests that those hospice nurses who have observed terminal dehydration have a more positive perception of this state than those who have not.