A Nursing Experience of Caring for a Patient With Terminal Rectal Cancer at the End of Life in the Intensive Care Unit.

This article discussed the nursing care experience of a patient with terminal rectal cancer in the intensive care unit(ICU). From July 30th, 2018 to August 8th, 2018, we assessed the patient by Gordon's 11 Items Health Function and determined if the patient had an ineffective breathing pattern, hopelessness, and anticipatory grief of the caregiver. We provided appropriate care plans and interventions to meet the physical and mental needs of the patient and cared about the feelings of the caregiver. A consensus was made to let the patient pass away peacefully in the intensive care unit to reduce the caregiver's stress and to optimize the patient's end-of-life experience. Despite the critical care nature of ICU, hospice care could still be implemented successfully outside of hospice wards. We provided a sound supportive environment for the patient and his family in ICU, which was achieved through multidisciplinary teamwork. The author would like to share this nursing experience as a reference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]