Exploring palliative care nursing of patients with pre-existing serious persistent mental illness

Abstract

In the past, palliative care has been primarily cancer focused, and more recently the scope of care has broadened to include other life-limiting illnesses. With increasing incidence of multiple comorbidities amongst palliative care patient populations, it is less certain whether access to, and treatment within, palliative care settings are adequate for those who have pre-existing serious and persistent mental illnesses. This paper explores the key concepts of palliative care for people with serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI), the challenges present in nursing practice, and the making of end-of-life decisions, in order to consider how comprehensive, person-centred care might be given. Although some improvements have been reported over the past 14 years, this population appears to remain underserved in palliative care. The need for more specialized education for nurses in both palliative care and mental health care, and better communication and collaboration between the two specialities is needed. Greater collaboration between disciplines may ensure that these patients receive the same standard of care experienced by the general population.