Where, when and how to die: Insights into issues of critical nursing in cancer

2^nd International Conference on Nursing & Healthcare

November 17-19, 2014 DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Chicago-North Shore Conference Center, USA

Shulamith Kreitler

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Nurs Care

Abstract :

The talk deals with three major issues which we have found to be significant and bothersome for cancer patients and their family members in the framework of critical nursing. The three issues refer to the place of dying (e.g., home, hospital, nursing home), the time (e.g., the phase of the disease and degree of suffering) and the manner of dying (e.g., under one?s control or not). The involved issues have been studied in studies with patients and their family members. In one study medical and demographic variables were examined as predictors of the place of dying, compared to the patient?s preference. Another study examined the impact of nutritional state and mobility on the patient?s quality of life and desire to live. The relations between pain and desire to live have also been examined. A separate study was devoted to the impact of support systems (by family and nursing staff) and of beliefs on the survival of patients in critical care.

Biography :

Shulamith Kreitler is a professor of Psychology at Tel Aviv University and head of the Psycho-oncology Research Center at the Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, in Israel. She is a certified clinical psychologist and health psychologist. Her major research is focused on psychological risk factors of different physical and mental disorder, quality of life and coping. She has taught at the Nursing Department in hospitals at the University of Haifa. She has published about 200 research papers and 10 books.