Hospital care and communication tend to be focused on the individual patient, and decision making is typically based on the principle of individual autonomy. It can be questioned whether this approach is adequate when a patient is terminally ill.

When patients die relatives and healthcare professionals may appreciate the quality of the dying phase differently, but comparisons are rare. In a cross-sectional study (June 2009–July 2012) the experiences of bereaved relatives, physicians, and nurses concerning the quality of dying in a large Dutch …

Background: To improve the quality of end-of-life care, hospitals increasingly appoint palliative care nurse champions.

Context Most deaths in Western countries occur in hospital, but little is known about factors determining the quality of dying (QOD). Objectives The aim was to assess the QOD in hospital as experienced by relatives and identify factors related to QOD. Methods A cross-sectional study on 18 wards …

The purpose of this study was the psychometric testing of a questionnaire to assess nurses’ opinions, subjective norms, perceived difficulties, and knowledge related to palliative care. The 63-item MOVE2PC Questionnaire was tested among 219 nurses in groups differing in education and experience. The …