Fast Facts for the Hospice Nurse: A Concise Guide to End-of-Life Care

Provides comprehensive, current information for addressing the physical, psychological, and spiritual needs of hospice patients and their families

Substantially updated and expanded, the second edition of this quick-access reference for hospice nurses continues to deliver the most current information on the clinical and administrative duties of the hospice nurse. It encompasses important regulatory changes and milestones, providing timely information on cultural issues, special communication considerations, and hospice care’s enduring growth.

This resource provides new content on levels of care, assessment and symptom management, and occupational stress, burnout, and self-care. New treatment guidelines and algorithms are included, as are updates on quality measures, the reimbursement schedule, compliance initiatives, and electronic documentation with specific examples.

An indispensable clinical resource, the book is a valuable reference for nurses who are seeking to specialize in hospice, those who work in long-term care settings, post-acute care settings, acute care setting, and those who are seeking to enhance their knowledge of end-of-life care within other specialties.

New to the Second Edition:
• Includes new regulatory changes/milestones, such as The National Quality Forum New Priorities for Action 2019
• Provides updated information about levels of care, particularly the Last 7 Days rule from Medicare
• Covers the use of cannabis, non-pharmacological pain management interventions, care of the dying patient, and post-mortem care
• New chapters are included on the hospice nurse's role as case manager, patient discharge, religious and cultural influences on end-of-life care, pain assessment and interventions, wound care, care of the dying patient, and post-mortem care.

Key Features:
• Reflects key competencies for the hospice nurse as designated by the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association
• Delineates clinical and administrative responsibilities of the hospice nurse
• Simplifies complex information such as Medicare regulations and compliance
• Provides screening tools for depression, anxiety, and wound risk
• Includes the Palliative Performance Scale and the Karnofsky Performance Scale
• Serves as a concise study resource for certification

Patricia Moyle Wright, PhD, CRNP, CNS, CHPN, CNE, has worked in hospice and palliative care for more than 20 years, beginning as a nursing assistant, later as a registered nurse, and now as a family nurse practitioner. She earned bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing from Misericordia University, Dallas, Pennsylvania, and a PhD in nursing from Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Wright is a board-certified adult health clinical nurse specialist and family nurse practitioner. She is also a certified hospice and palliative nurse (CHPN) and a certified nurse educator (CNE).
Dr. Wright is a professor in the department of nursing at The University of Scranton. She teaches a number of graduate and undergraduate courses, including a course on end-of-life care. Dr. Wright has published numerous articles and book chapters on end-of-life issues, including grief and bereavement. Her most recent work is a coedited book, Perinatal and Pediatric Bereavement in Nursing and Other Health Professions (Springer Publishing), winner of an American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award.