Caring for the Terminally Ill: An Interpretation of Time, Existence, and Mortality

Abstract

In this paper, the first author explores the complexity of caring for palliative care patients approaching end of life in response to the statement nursing is an interpretive practice. A real-life scenario is used to unravel the exploration of time, existence, and mortality. The author proclaims that the question of death remains unanswered, and the call to palliative care nursing requires an extensive examination of one’s own temporality to cultivate an understanding of patients experiences of grief, legacy, and meaning making in the context of terminal illness.