[An Experience Providing Hospice Care to a Terminal Cancer Patient]

This study discusses a case in which corneal-donation care was provided to a 57-year-old patient with terminal salivary gland cancer. Nursing care was provided from June 1 to June 28, 2017. The overall nursing assessment (covering physiological, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects) confirmed that the three main issues faced by the patient were chronic pain, dysfunctional family processes, and spiritual disturbances. Effective pain treatment was applied during the care process in order to stabilize the patient's physical condition. A hospice shared care team then worked together to help the patient mend his relationships with family members, fulfill his wish to donate his cornea, find meaning in his life, affirm his contribution to his family and society, and die a peaceful death. With regard to clinical practice, an explanation of corneal donation should be included in the conventional educational guidelines for hospice care. In addition to referrals to the relevant medical teams, it is recommended that nursing personnel who deal with patients like this participate in organ donation courses and develop positive attitudes and grief counseling skills. These actions will enable them to build up the professionalism, confidence, patience, and organ procurement-related skills required for the provision of care to these patients, which will in turn lead to better-quality palliative care. It is hoped that the nursing experience shared herein provides nursing personnel with a reference for palliative cancer care.