title: Understanding the subjective experiences and needs of patients as they approach death.
abstract: When patients are approaching the end of life their spiritual as well as physical needs should be considered. This article considers how nurses can best support patients who are dying and work to ensure they experience a peaceful transition to death. Attending to their spiritual needs is shown to be of utmost importance; the near death and end of life experiences that some patients may have are also taken into consideration.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Therapy Unit, Morriston Hospital, Swansea.
authors.forename: Penny
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sartori
mesh_terms: D001293:Attitude to Death; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D029181:Spirituality