Nursing Roles in Palliative Care for Patients with Liver Cancer

Abstract

          Liver cancer is a significant public health problem in Thailand due to its high incidence and mortality rates, and it remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths. Most patients are diagnosed when the disease has progressed to an advanced stage, resulting in the need for palliative care to relieve distressing symptoms, reduce suffering, and promote the quality of life of patients and their families. This article aims to promote the roles of nurses in providing holistic palliative care for patients with liver cancer. These roles include being an educator who provides knowledge about the disease, health practices, self-care, observation of abnormal symptoms, nutrition, medication use, follow-up visits, and stress-relief methods for patients and their families; a counsellor who uses communication skills and attentive listening to help patients and families understand the illness situation, prepare for end-of-life care, and support advance care planning; a care provider who delivers comprehensive palliative care to patients and families across physical, psychological, spiritual, daily living, end-of-life preparation, and bereavement care dimensions after the patient’s death; a coordinator who links patients, families, multidisciplinary teams, and social support resources to ensure continuous, safe, and needs-based care; an advocate who protects patients’ rights to information, treatment decision-making, privacy, confidentiality, access to health services, and care that respects their values and human dignity; and a manager who assesses, plans, manages resources, coordinates, monitors, and continuously adjusts the care plan. These nursing roles enable patients with liver cancer to receive appropriate palliative care, achieve the best possible quality of life, and face the end of life peacefully and with dignity.