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End of Life Care

“The majority of deaths in the United Kingdom occur after a period of chronic illness. During this time people often require ongoing care which may include end of life care. It helps them to live as well as possible until they die. It also includes support for their family or carers. A person is ‘approaching the end of life’ when they are likely to die within the next 12 months.” (RCN, 2015, Getting it right every time). Use this guide to find information resources about end of life care including books, journal articles and reports.

Last updated: 10/02/2021

Key Resources

RCN when someone asks

Royal College of Nursing (2016) When someone asks for your assistance to die: RCN guidance on responding to a request to hasten death.

RCN Learning resource: End of life care and wellbeing for the nursing and midwifery workforce
  • Online learning resource for nursing staff:
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RCN: Getting it right every time: the fundamentals of nursing care at the end of life
  • Online learning resource for nursing staff:
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Getting it right every time: fundamentals of nursing care at the end of life Royal College of Nursing (2015) Getting it right every time: fundamentals of nursing care at the end of life. London: Royal College of Nursing.
DOH review of choice Review of Choice in End of Life Care Programme Board (2015) What’s important to me. A review of choice in end of life care. London: DH.
Department of Health (2016) Our commitment to you for end of life care. The government response to the review of choice in end of life care. London: DH.
Marie Curie Cancer Care and the Bevan Foundation (2014) Death and dying in Wales: an analysis of inconsistencies in access to specialist palliative care and hospital activity in the last year of life.Penarth: Marie Curie Cancer Care.
Care Quality Commission (Great Britain) (2016) A different ending: end of life care review. Care Quality Commission, London
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2017) Care of dying adults in the last days of life: NICE standard QS144. London: NICE.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2015) Care of dying adults in the last days of life: NICE guideline NG31. London: NICE.
  • NICE guidance is officially England only.
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NICE Evidence guidance search: end of life care
  • Please check that guidance is applicable for your country.
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Nursing and Midwifery Council (2016) End of life care: our position. London: NMC.

Department of Health (2017) The route to success in end of life care in acute hospitals your guide. London: DH.

We would like to thank the RCN Pain and Palliative Care member community for their input into the development of this subject guide.

Books

Perspectives

Allen R  S, Carpenter B D and Eichorst M K (2018) Perspectives on Palliative and End-of-Life Care: Disease, Social and Cultural Context. Milton: Routledge Ltd.

Bardy Choosing Bardy S (2016) Choosing end of life nursing. Adelaide: ATF Press. 
Adult palliative care Costello J (2019) Adult palliative care for nursing, health and social care. London: Sage Publications.
Gordon Psychosocial Gordon P S (2016) Psychosocial interventions in end-of-life care: the hope for a "good death". London: Routledge.
Larkin P - Compassion Larkin P J (2016) Compassion: The essence of palliative and end-of-life care. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Mannix with the end Mannix  K (2017) With the end in mind: dying, death and wisdom in an age of denial. London: William Collins.
Matzo M L & Sherman D W (2014) Palliative care nursing: quality care to the end of life, New York: Springer Publishing.

Matzo M L & Sherman D W (2018) Palliative care nursing: quality care to the end of life. New York: Springer Publishing.

Nicol J (2014) Palliative and end of life care in nursing, London: Sage

Nicol J (2017) Palliative and end of life care in nursing, London: Sage.

O’Mahony S (2016) The way we die now, London: Head of Zeus Ltd Mahony S (2016) The way we die now. London: Head of Zeus Ltd.
Rose doorways Rose I and Ryan K (2016) Doorways into dying: innovative teachings for end of life. London:  Austin Macauley.
Sadler C (2015) A practical guide to end of life, Maidenhead: Open University Sadler C (2015) A practical guide to end of life, Maidenhead: Open University.
Book cover for: Shapiro, S.P. 2019, Speaking for the Dying: Life-and-Death Decisions in Intensive Care, University Of Chicago Press, Chicago. Shapiro S P (2019) Speaking for the Dying: Life-and-Death Decisions in Intensive Care. University Of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Book subject searches

Use these links to see details of books the RCN libraries hold on each topic.

Journal articles

Use these links for details of journal articles on each topic.

Journals

Death studies Journals of interest for end of life care. Use these links to see details of availability.

Explore

Royal College of Nursing (no date) Care home journey. RCN.
Social Care Institute for Excellence (2014) End of life care: achieving dignity for those with dementia, Great Britain: Social Care TV (video).

Social Care Institute for Excellence (2014) and palliative care: Thinking about the words we use, Great Britain: Social Care TV (video). 

 

 


This subject guide relates to:

End of life care: Clinical topic
Pain and Palliative Care Forum
RCN library staff

Kat Black

Editor of this guide

RCN Library and Archive Service

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Page last updated - 10/02/2021

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