Investigation of Student Nurses’Attitudes towards End-of-Life Care and Their Influencing Factors

Background: This cross-sectional investigative study aimed to determine student nurses’ attitudes towards end-of-life care. Methods: This study used a descriptive research design with stratified sampling to survey student nurses enrolled in one of four nursing colleges in China from January 2023 to December 2023. Student nurses’ general demographic and prior related information, attitudes towards death and attitudes towards end-of-life care were determined using a general information questionnaire, the Death Attitude Profile—Revised scale and the Professional End-of-Life Attitude Scale (PEAS), respectively. Results: The total PEAS score was 122.91 ± 16.123. Significant differences were noted in the attitude towards end-of-life care scores according to sources of end-of-life care knowledge (P Conclusions: Student nurses lacked an optimistic attitude towards end-of-life care, which was influenced by differences in the sources of end-of-life care knowledge.

A Concept Analysis of Decision-Making by Families in Critical Life Situations

Background: In 2017, the elderly made up 27.3% of Japan’s population, accounting for 57.2% of all ambulance trips. When an elderly person is in a critical life situation, it is difficult to ascertain their decisions about treatment choices, and for family members who become surrogate decision-makers, this is a grave responsibility. Aim: This study aimed to shed light on the constructs that support decision-making by family members and medical staff in critical situations, and to investigate decision-making by families of the elderly in critical situations. Method: We selected 29 papers published in Japan and elsewhere that focused on families involved in treatment decisions in critical life situations and analyzed them using Rodgers’ concept analysis approach. Results: From 475 codes, we extracted six attributes, four antecedents, and four consequences. The unusual setting of the “critical care unit”, lack of time, and unstable psychological state are all considered by family members making treatment decisions, along with the patient’s prognosis, their relationship with the patient, conjecture about the patient’s wishes, and taking other family member’s views into account. Medical staff supports the family throughout the process, through provision of treatment, preparing family members to face reality, empathizing with the difficulty of decision-making, building relationships with family members, monitoring the decision-making process, and being attentive to family members’ feelings until the end. Conclusion: Our results indicate the importance of advance confirmation of patients’ wishes, and the role played by cultural context and family relations in decision-making by family members of the elderly.

Decision-making of biomass ethanol fuel policy based on life cycle 3E assessment

To evaluate the environmental, economic, energy performance of biomass ethanol fuel in China and to support the decision-making of biomass ethanol energy policy, an assessment method of life cycle 3E (economy, environment, energy) was applied to the three biomass ethanol fuel cycle alternatives, which includes cassava-based, corn-based and wheat-based ethanol fuel. The assessments provide a comparison of the economical performance, energy efficiency and environmental impacts of the three alternatives. And the development potential of the three alternatives in China was examined. The results are very useful for the Chinese government to make decisions on the biomass ethanol energy policy, and some advises for the decision-making of Chinese government were given.

Learning from the Film “Mitorishi (Transition Doula)”—Application to Understanding the End-of-Life in a Gerontological Nursing Practice Course in Japan

Purpose: This study aims to detail what nursing students learned from watching the film “Mitorishi”, which was used among the teaching materials in a gerontological nursing practice course in nursing education in Japan, and demonstrate the applicability of using the film as an element relevant to the teaching of end-of-life care in Japan. Methods: The participants were fourth-year nursing students at University A who had watched the film “Mitorishi” during the course, had submitted a report on what they learned, and provided informed consent to the study participation. The reports submitted by the participants were used as data and analyzed qualitatively using the content analysis approach. Results: The analysis identified the following five categories (number of codes): Characteristics of life during the final days (9), Importance of views on life and death (3), Importance of end-of-life care (3), Assistance in preparation for the final days of life (13), and Understanding the profession of transition doula (9). Discussion: The five categories show that the students have learned about the “role of nurses at the time of end-of-life care” while “visualizing end-of-life care” and learning “preparedness for end-of-life care”. These findings suggest that using the film “Mitorishi” in the teaching curriculum is effective for learning about end-of-life care for older people.

Palliative care for end-stage liver disease and acute on chronic liver failure:A systematic review

BACKGROUND End stage liver disease(ESLD)represents a growing health concern characterized by elevated morbidity and mortality,particularly among individual ineligible for liver transplantation.The demand for palliative care(PC)is pronounced in patients grappling with ESLD and acute on chronic liver failure(ACLF).Unfortunately,the historical underutilization of PC in ESLD patients,despite their substantial needs and those of their family caregivers,underscores the imperative of seamlessly integrating PC principles into routine healthcare practices across the entire disease spectrum.AIM To comprehensively investigate the evidence surrounding the benefits of incorporating PC into the comprehensive care plan for individuals confronting ESLD and/or ACLF.METHODS A systematic search in the Medline(PubMed)database was performed using a predetermined search command,encompassing studies published in English without any restrictions on the publication date.Subsequently,the retrieved studies were manually examined.Simple descriptive analyses were employed to summarize the results.RESULTS The search strategies yielded 721 references.Following the final analysis,32 fulllength references met the inclusion criteria and were consequently incorporated into the study.Meticulous data extraction from these 32 studies was undertaken,leading to the execution of a comprehensive narrative systematic review.The review found that PC provides significant benefits,reducing symptom burden,depressive symptoms,readmission rates,and hospital stays.Yet,barriers like the appeal of transplants and misconceptions about PC hinder optimal utilization.Integrating PC early,upon the diagnosis of ESLD and ACLF,regardless of transplant eligibility and availability,improves the quality of life for these patients.CONCLUSION Despite the substantial suffering and poor prognosis associated with ESLD and ACLF,where liver transplantation stands as the only curative treatment,albeit largely inaccessible,PC services have been overtly provided too late in the course of the illness.A comprehensive understanding of PC's pivotal role in treating ESLD and ACLF is crucial for overcoming these barriers,involving healthcare providers,patients,and caregivers.

Characteristics of Decision-Making by Family Members When Older Adults Are Hospitalized in Emergency Cases with Life-Threatening Conditions

Aim: This study aims to elucidate decision-making characteristics based on interviews with family members with experience in having to select treatments for older adult patients who have been hospitalized following emergency transport to the hospital. Design: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 individuals with experience in surrogate decision-making for an older adult family member. Methods: The recorded interview data were transcribed verbatim, divided into minimum semantic units, and coded. Next, categories and subcategories were abstracted. A comparison was made with the conceptual constructs of a previous study that examined decision-making by families in a life-threatening crisis. Results: Four categories were extracted from 489 antecedents, 370 attributes, and 388 consequences. One new category was abstracted for each of: 1) antecedents: observing abnormalities and responding, while being worried about death;2) attributes: deliberating on the patient prognosis, the relationship with the patient, and what they believe the patient would want;and 3) consequences: continuing support during convalescence. It is desirable to provide support based on the characteristics of families of older adults, including considering the psychological burden on the families who make surrogate decisions, and also the burden of subsequent caregiving because it is not and in the present environment has not been common for patients to express their wishes beforehand.

Evaluation of Ovarian Cancer Care at the End of Life in a Single Tertiary Hospital

Aim: Fundamentally, aggressive care is considered to be avoided for the patients at the end of life. However, this is not always adhered in real-world practice. We attempted to determine whether, and if so how, the aggressive care is made for patients with ovarian cancer during the last month prior death. Methods: Enrolled were a total of 104 patients with ovarian cancer (including fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer), who were treated in Kuopio University Hospital in Finland during 2009-2014. The aggressive care was defined according to the standards outlined by the National Quality Forum;shortly, chemotherapy, emergency-room/intensive-care visit/admission, hospital admission, and death in hospital. Results: Two thirds of patients (67%) had received at least one form of aggressive care during the last month of their lives. Especially, admission in hospital in the last 30 days of life was the most common form of aggressive cancer care. Younger patients (<72 years) received significantly more often aggressive care than the older patients (80% vs 43%, p = 0.004). Those women that underwent end-of-life discussions earlier than one month prior to death had significantly less aggressive care than those women that had discussions during the last month (48% vs. 90%, p = 0.001). Conclusions: Ovarian cancer patients received commonly at least one form of aggressive care at the end of their lives. More efforts should be taken to improve the quality of palliative and end-of-life care.

Quality of life in end stage renal disease patients

AIM： To understand factors associated with quality of life （QOL）, examine types of QOL instruments, and determine need for further improvements in QOL assessment.METHODS： The method used databases （Pubmed, Google scholar） and a bibliographic search using key words QOL, end stage renal disease, Hemodialysis, Peritoneal dialysis, instruments to measure QOL, patients and qualitative/quantitative analysis published during 1990 to June 2014. Each article was assessed for sample size, demographics of participants, study design and type of QOL instruments used. We used WHO defnition of QOL. RESULTS： For this review, 109 articles were screened, out of which 65 articles were selected. Out of 65 articles, there were 19 reports/reviews and 12 question-naire manuals. Of the 34 studies, 82% were quantita-tive while only 18% were qualitative. QOL instruments measured several phenomenon such as physical/psychological health, effects and burdens of kidney dis-ease, social support etc. those are associated with QOL. Few studies looked at spiritual beliefs, cultural beliefs, personal concerns, as per the WHO defnition. Telemedicine and Palliative care have now been successfully used however QOL instruments seldom addressed those in the articles reviewed. Also noticed was that longitudinal studies were rarely conducted. Existing QOL instruments only partially measure QOL. This may limit validity of predictive power of QOL. CONCLUSION： Culture and disease specific QOL in-struments that assess patients’ objective and subjective experiences covering most aspects of QOL are urgently needed.

Individualized Aromatherapy in End-of-Life Cancer Patients Care:A Case Report

As one of the methods of palliative care,aromatherapy has been applied gradually in clinical nursing work in China in recent years.Through aromatherapy,terminal cancer patients can get not only relieves of physical symptoms,but also spiritual relaxation and peace,thus have improved quality of life at the end stage.In this paper,we report in detail about how aromatherapy was applied for symptom control in a cancer patient with unknown primary malignancy and multiple metastasis and its effects on the terminal life of this patient.

End of Life Experience of Symptom Cluster and Their Management in Hong Kong Chinese Patients with Lung Cancer Who Receive Palliative Radiotherapy

Breathlessness, fatigue, and anxiety are distressing symptoms for patients with advanced lung cancer, however, they are not relieved by palliative RT and are often viewed as neglected areas of clinical practice. This paper aims to review def initions of, and explore patients' experiences of, breathlessness, fatigue, and anxiety. Further, it will outline existing approaches, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological, to treat them. Current treatments and perceptions of these symptoms will be discussed in the context of Hong Kong health care service. The review of literature also shows that breathlessness, fatigue and anxiety appears to have similar emotional origins. A contemporary approach of using a common pyschoeducational intervention to treat these symptoms together as a cluster in end of life care will be discussed.

Activity coefficients of NiO and CoO in CaO–Al_2O_3–SiO_2 slag and their application to the recycling of Ni–Co–Fe-based end-of-life superalloys via remelting

To design optimal pyrometallurgical processes for nickel and cobalt recycling, and more particularly for the end-of-life process of Ni-Co-Fe-based end-of-life（EoL） superalloys, knowledge of their activity coefficients in slags is essential. In this study, the activity coefficients of NiO and CoO in CaO-Al_2O_3-SiO_2 slag, a candidate slag used for the EoL superalloy remelting process, were measured using gas/slag/metal equilibrium experiments. These activity coefficients were then used to consider the recycling efficiency of nickel and cobalt by remelting EoL superalloys using CaO-Al_2O_3-SiO_2 slag. The activity coefficients of NiO and CoO in CaO-Al_2O_3-SiO_2 slag both show a positive deviation from Raoult＇s law, with values that vary from 1 to 5 depending on the change in basicity. The activity coefficients of NiO and CoO peak in the slag with a composition near B =（%CaO）/（%SiO_2） = 1, where B is the basicity. We observed that controlling the slag composition at approximately B = 1 effectively reduces the cobalt and nickel oxidation losses and promotes the oxidation removal of iron during the remelting process of EoL superalloys.

Investigation on end-of-life electric and electronic equipment recycling and disposal system in China: legislation, education and dissemination

The Chinese obsolete electric and electronic equipments (EEE) recycling and disposal system on the point of view of legislation, education and dissemination were discussed, because of the highly increasing volume of electric and electronic products and that of its obsoletes today in China. The legislations and responsibilities of go- vernment, industry and consumer were discussed based on the balance of benefit and responsibility depending on the realization of their benefits in the whole life cycle of products and its status in the whole value chain. Not only the legislation and establishment of the so called “compulsory discarding system” will be a possible and effective solution to the difficulty of the obsolete collection and recycling for obsolete electric and electronic reclaiming industry, but also the education and dissemination. Education and dissemination were discussed as an important role which will emphasize the adjusting of policy and law on the development of electric and electronic industry production and its reclaiming. The education of stockholders’ environmental responsibility and the advocating of responsibility sharing should be implement for industry and consumer. Chinese EEE industry should emphasize the control of natural source, and should implement the environmental benign design in their production, such as design for dismantling, no dismantling, thermal treatment and green design. The perspectives for the way to advocate a harmonic society for Chinese people were described.

Living Conditions and Palliative Care Needs among End-of-Life Former Commercial Plasma Donors Affected with HIV/AIDS in Rural Henan of China

Objective China began providing antiretroviral therapy to people living with HIV/AIDS （PLWHA） in 2003. This study was to investigate the living conditions, including quality of life and happiness, and need for palliative care of end-of-life PLWHA in rural Henan. Methods One hundred end-of-life AIDS patients were selected from Weishi, Zhenping and Tanghe counties in Henan, using convenience sampling. The World Health Organization Quality of Life for HIV （WHOQOL-HIV） BREF Chinese Version was used to measure the quality of life and the Memorial University of Newfoundland Scale of Happiness （MUNSH） was employed to measure subjective welfare. Qualitative interviews and focus group discussions were undertaken to learn about the palliative care provided and the specific needs of the end-of-life patients. Results Patients’ overall quality of life was moderate （12.62±1.97）. Highest scores were in the spirituality/religion/personal beliefs, higher than the average scores in the Chinese population （P0.01）, while psychological （13.58±2.06） and environment （12.50±3.28） domain scores were similar to the latter （P0.05）. Both independence （12.15±2.15） and physiological （14.04±3.16） domain scores were lower than the average of the people living with HIV/AIDS in other studies （P0.01）; however, all were in the moderate range. The average MUNSH score was 21.00±6.20, which was also moderate. The in-depth interviews indicated that the Henan Provincial Government’s policy of treatment and care had a beneficial impact on end-of-life AIDS patients, although the care components could be improved. Conclusions Living conditions of the end-of-life AIDS patients were moderate, and the HIV/AIDS palliative care model used was beneficial to them. Care could be improved by assisting the family unit as a whole.

Factors Relating to Nurses’ End-of-Life Care

This integrative review aimed to investigate factors relating to end-of-life care of nurses. The review was conducted according to PICo (Participant, area of Interest, and Context). Keywords identified were: “nurse” AND “end-of-life care” (“dyingcare” OR “‘deathcare”, OR “near end stage of life care” OR “palliative care” OR “hospice care” OR “comfortable care in near death” OR “quality of dying patients care”), AND “nurses”. The database searched through PubMed, ProQuest, Google Scholar, Web of Science and SCOPUS. The searching inclusion criteria were limited to English and Chinese language studies about nurses’ end-of-life care from 2010 to 2019, yielding 258 English language articles and 2Chinese language articles. Results: A total of fifteen articles were selected based on inclusion criteria. Two subjects were obtained from the results that related to nurses’ care during the process of end of life: 1) Nurses’ demographic factors;and 2) Modifiable factors. Nurses’ demographic factors were age, years of work experience, level of education and experience of the death of a family member/friend. Modifiable factors included knowledge, attitude, confidence, relationship, environment and resources, communication, nursing activities, philosophy and culture of care, skills and training. These factors were explored in various areas and majority of the studies had been conducted in public government hospitals. Conclusion: The major power ability of care was observed in nurses who acted the significant part in caring for the terminally ill during the dying process. Caring for dying patients was related to many factors which could affect the fabric of nursing care at the end stage of life. The elements found in this review could lead to recommendations with implications for nursing practice so as to improve and enhance end-of-life care. Some factors could be considered like predictors affecting nursing practice for chronical ill patients in further research. In addition, nurses’ tranquility care in community hospitals should be more focused.

Patients’ Involvement in Decision Making at End of Life—A Systematic Review of Literature

Background: involving patient in end of life decision is important to understand their wishes and preferences to help health care providers in improving the quality of dying and minimizing suffering. Aim: the aim of this review was to provide a detailed examination of the available literature related to patients’ involvement in decision making at end of life. Design: a systematic review following the PRISMA protocol was used, the review protocol was registered on PROSPERO: CRD42019128556. Data sources: we conducted a literature search in two electronic databases “CINAHL and Medline” during March-April 2019. The retrieved articles were included if they were: research reports or literature review;examined patient involvement in end-of-life discussions;full text publications, written in English and published from 2000-2019. Results: a total of (22) articles were included in the review;there was diversity in the purposes and design approach of the retrieved studies. The available literature explored patient’s involvement at end-of-life decision making through;describing current practices;understanding perspectives of end of life discussions;investigating the impact and identifying the barriers and facilitators of patients’ involvement in end of life discussions. Conclusion: involvement in end-of-life discussions improved the recognition of patients’ wishes, improved death experience, and decreased posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety among family members. Despite the documented benefits, some barriers against patient’s involvement in end-of-life decisions were recognized;lack of awareness;lack of education, training and experience;concerns about ethical and legal issues;and personal preferences of doctors or nurses were among the most commonly identified barriers.

ePROMs in the End of Life and in Making Ethical Decisions. An Integrative Review with Narrative

Background: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS) are essential tools in clinical practice and research to assess patients’ needs from their unique perspectives. They allow the healthcare team to monitor patient status and concerns outside the clinical setting. However, the real innovation in this field is its digitization: electronic patient-reported outcome measures (ePROMs). Aims: This review aimed to get an overview of whether these new technologies are being used to aid palliative care teams in their daily struggle to provide comfort to their patients. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of articles retrieved from PubMed and Web of Science, up to November 2021. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. The search strategy yielded 242 records, of which 13 met the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. In addition, relevant information related to ePROMs was extracted from each study. Results: Outcomes were grouped into the quality of life assessment, symptom burden and simple assessments, and the decision to introduce Palliative Cures (PC). In 61.5% of cases, ePROMs positively impacted patients’ quality of life. Furthermore, in 46.15% of cases, ePROMs led Primary Care (PC) teams to make an ethical decision;the same relative value as in the circumstances did not define the direction in ethical terms. Conclusion: Remind professionals and patients that these tools exist and can be applied in many situations. If used correctly, they can provide patients with a better quality of life and more complete information for professionals.

A Case Study for End of Life Reuse and Recycling Survey Methodologies： The Hollentalanger Cottage

Up to now, reuse and recycling of existing buildings have not been examined widely. This paper discusses the theories, methods and practicalities of buildings＇ end of life with a main focus on planning and managing reuse and recycling of existing buildings. Our aim is the realistic modelling of theoretical scenarios for end of life based on a case study. The methods of building survey, material classification and documentation for reuse, recycling and disposal of existing constructions are presented. Investigations and calculations were done on an existing cottage in the Alps. The ecologically most beneficial disposal phase of the old wooden hut is our main objective. Critical questions arise from the quality of the material and how it can be extracted, separated and balanced in an appropriate way. A systematic survey of the building by inspection of constructions and materials in iterative steps allows a detailed material balance with condition and property information. This information is crucial for scenarios and material flow analysis of demolished and rebuilt building in environmental system analysis. For future planning, the reuse and recycling of existing buildings should be integrated quite early in the planning process so that we can use the materials in the best way.

End of Life Care Medical Education: 48 Hour Hospice Home Immersion Alters Students’ Lives

Introduction: Education and skill enhancement in palliative and end of life care is rarely part of the foundational medical education curriculum. The progress of student physicians tends to be measured by their ability to synthesize and demonstrate basic medical knowledge and clinical skills but offers little assessment of the maturation of attitudes or their values. The University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNECOM), immerses second year medical students in a hospice home for 48 hours to enhance students’ perspectives in interprofessional palliative and end of life care. Methods: This project utilized qualitative ethnographic and autobiographic research designs. Two female second year medical students (27 y/o & 26 y/o) were immersed for 48 hours into a local hospice home, sleeping in a bed where others had died, to answer the question: “What is it like for ME to live in the Hospice Home for 48 hours and how does this contribute to my future as a practitioner?” Data were collected in the form of journal notes for pre-fieldwork, fieldwork, and post-fieldwork and included subjective and objective reporting of observations, experiences, and patient/family encounters. Analyses included journal review and thematic categorization and coding through content analysis. Results: Themes common to both students that factored in the research question and their prior stated interest areas of medical humanities and person-centered care at end of life were identified. Three themes were selected for this article: 1) Person-Centered Experiences, 2) Spectrum of Communication, and 3) Introspection: Attitudes and Values. The process of living in the hospice home for 48 hours revealed students’ attitudes about various disease processes, their personal experiences with death and dying, and their assumptions about how patients approach death. Conclusion: This Hospice Home Immersion project provided both an educational approach and learning environment that was effective in advancing medical students’ attitudes, skills, and knowledge as evidenced by their self-reported life altering learning about end of life and palliative care.

End-of-life vehicle recycling based on disassembly

The end-of-life vehicle recycling was studied based on the disassembly. The end-of-life recycling and the disassembly were reviewed and discussed. A disassembly experiment of an end-of-life engine was carried out, which strictly recorded the process of dismantling. Based on the results, a model of the end-of-life recycling was presented. In this model, the end-of-life parts were classified by three ways which included to recycle directly, to recycle after remanufacturing and to discard. By using this model, the dismantling efficiency and the recycling rate can be improved. Also, it obtains a good result after used in a dismantling factory.

End-of-life vehicles processing,towards a thermal treatment of auto shredder residue

All over the world,the management of End-of-life Vehicles(ELV) and Automobile Shredder Residue(ASR) is an increasing issue for the car industry.The setting up of several environmental directives,among others the notion of extended producer responsibility,encourage car manufacturers to find alternatives solutions to waste disposal.For 2017,China aims for the recyclability and energy recovery of 95% of total weight of used cars,and in order to reach this rate,the development of some ASR thermal processes could be envisaged.With this research,an overview of ELV management was given and the different solutions about ASR thermal treatment were presented.It is showed that in spite of its big heterogeneity,the high heating value of ASR makes pyrolysis and gasification very interesting,compared to incineration or disposal of in landfills.