When one thinks of technology use in nursing care in terminal situations, images are apt to focus on places like emergency rooms and intensive care units, with lights flashing and tubes attached to the patient from every orifice. Nonetheless, technology is an important element of all nursing care in end-of-life situations, particularly for pain management.
For example, people often contrast hospitals and nursing homes with hospices, assuming that the former exert a great deal of energy prolonging life against the patient's will, using the highest of medical technologies. Yet, these are interdependent entities. The hospital does use high technology to try to cure the patient, the nursing home may see the patient during the recovery process, and the hospice home or worker sees the patient when end-of-life situations develop. All use technological support, including hospice. In particular, hospice workers try to access the most advanced technologies in regard to pain management, which is one of the biggest problems during the dying process. They also use hospital beds, IVs, oxygen tanks, and other equipment that makes the dying person's process easier (Byock, 1997).
Hooks (1998) noted that one of the problems with achieving good pain management is that people are taught to deny death, and to fight it as long as possible. In particular, doctors and nurses are taught that they have failed when the patient dies, not that this is simply part of a natural, inevitable process. As a consequence, when patients become terminal, they may be neglected, just when they need support the most. Hooks noted that there is an extreme need for training of health care professionals in end-of-life issues, particularly pain management. Pain management is achievable, but it takes effort and skill.
On the other hand, there are approaches to end-of-life nursing care that do not seem focused as much on the patient as on ensuring the comfort...