Let's See the Sea in Penghu: A Nursing Experience of the Application of Life Eminiscence for a Patient with Terminal Lung Cancer.

This case report described the nursing experience of end-of-life care for a female patient with terminal lung cancer with physical and mental distress. During the nursing period, authors collected data through physical examination, observation, interviews, medical records, and Gordon's 11 functional health patterns to assess the patient's nursing needs. Authors confirmed that the patient presented the major health problems as following: ineffective breathing pattern, body fluid overload, and anticipatory grief. The medical team adjusted the patient's medication of morphine and sedatives, and assisted the patient to maintain a comfortable lying position, and gave the patient lymphatic massage with essential oils and the far-infrared therapy to improve the patient's health problems of the inefficient breathing pattern and body fluid overload. In addition, by using life review, authors helped the patient face the end of life and guided her and her families to express their feelings as well as expectations and also accompanied the patient and her families to review life and re-examine the meaning of life. The process of working together to fulfill the patient's dying wishes not only left precious memories to the patient and families, but also re-strengthened the connection among them to affirm the meaning of life that made the patient and families can carry out "the Four Principles of Life" to each other, including: gratitude, forgiveness, love and saying goodbye. We hope take this special nursing experience to share with everyone and provide an example of caring similar cases in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]