What is an appropriate nursing intervention for a patient exhibiting signs of discomfort at the end of life?

The choice of assessing for comfort and providing appropriate interventions aligns directly with the primary goal of palliative care, which is to minimize discomfort and enhance quality of life for patients at the end of life. This approach emphasizes the importance of understanding the patient's individual needs and preferences in managing their symptoms effectively. By performing a comprehensive assessment of the patient's level of comfort, nurses can identify specific issues such as pain, anxiety, or other forms of distress and can then implement tailored interventions. These may include pain relief measures, repositioning, emotional support, or other comfort-promoting strategies.

This intervention is crucial because simply monitoring vital signs, increasing fluid intake, or switching medications to higher doses may not directly address the patient’s expressed discomfort. Monitoring may provide important information, but it does not actively alleviate suffering. Increasing fluid intake could exacerbate discomfort if the patient is experiencing symptoms like edema or if they are not able to process the fluid effectively. Similarly, switching to high doses of medication without a comprehensive assessment might lead to adverse effects rather than improving comfort. Thus, the focus on assessing comfort first is foundational in delivering effective palliative care.