Evidence based guidance for advanced palliative and hospice nursing practice
Prepares nursing students and advanced practice learners to meet the complex needs of patients and families facing serious and life-limiting illness. Designed to support both classroom learning and clinical application, this comprehensive text integrates evidence-based practice with ethical, cultural, spiritual, and holistic dimensions of care. Organized into four clearly structured sections, it guides students from foundational principles of palliative care through disease-specific management, communication skills, and expert symptom control—including care of the actively dying. Written by leading clinicians and educators, the text emphasizes interprofessional collaboration, real-world clinical judgment, and compassionate presence, equipping students with the knowledge, confidence, and professional values essential for delivering high-quality palliative and hospice care across settings.
CourseConnect: Know, use, and test your understanding of course content with CourseConnect—an interactive learning platform included with your print purchase.
What’s New:
New chapter on developing palliative care programs, with expanded emphasis on standardized quality, operations, and business practices across healthcare settings
New chapter on underserved populations, addressing equity, access, and culturally responsive palliative care for diverse patient groups
Updated disease-specific and symptom management content, reflecting current evidence-based, multimodal, and complementary care approaches
Enhanced focus on interprofessional collaboration and communication, preparing students for team-based palliative and hospice care delivery
Student-centered updates and digital learning support, including a streamlined structure and robust CourseConnect resources aligned with AACN Essentials
Key Features:
Holistic, patient- and family-centered palliative nursing across illness trajectories
Supports entry-level and advanced practice competencies and professional certification preparation
Case studies, evidence-based reviews, and clinical applications reinforce learning and retention
Led by an award-winning palliative care nurse leader with global educational and clinical impact
Deborah Witt Sherman, PhD, APRN, ANP-BC, ACHPN, FAANis a Professor with tenure at Florida International University (FIU) and has a strong background in education, research, clinical practice, leadership, and administration. Dr. Sherman is certified as an adult nurse practitioner and a palliative care nurse practitioner. She was awarded the prestigious Project on Death in America Faculty Scholars Fellowship, funded by the Soros Foundation in 1998, to develop and implement the first Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner Program in the U.S. at New York University, and in 2005 brought the program to Tenshi College in Japan. In addition, Dr. Sherman was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to fund the nurse practitioner program and received funding from NYU and the Hospice and Palliative Care Nurses Association to develop the first advanced practice palliative care certification exam.
Contributors
Reviewers
Foreword by Marianne Matzo, PhD, APRN-CNP, AOCNP, ACHPN, FPCN, FAAN
Preface
Resources
SECTION I. UNDERSTANDING PALLIATIVE CARE
Chapter 1. Palliative Care Nursing
Chapter 2. Integrating Palliative Care into Modern Healthcare: A Global Imperative
Chapter 3. Interprofessional Collaboration in Palliative Care
Chapter 4. Ethical Aspects of Palliative Care
Chapter 5. Developing Palliative Care Programs: Ensuring Standardized Quality and Operations Across Care Settings
Chapter 6. Legal Aspects of Palliative Care and Advance Care Planning
SECTION II. CARING FOR THE WHOLE PERSON AND THEIR FAMILY
Chapter 7. Cultural Competence and Humility in Palliative Care
Chapter 8. Spiritual Dimensions of Palliative Care
Chapter 9. Family Caregivers and Palliative Care
Chapter 10. Communicating With Seriously Ill and Dying Patients, Their Families, and Their Healthcare Providers
Chapter 11. Loss, Grief, and Bereavement
Chapter 12. Palliative Care for Underserved Populations
Chapter 13. Holistic Integrative Therapies in Palliative Care
SECTION III. PHYSICAL HEALTH: LIFE-THREATENING DISEASES
Chapter 14. Palliative Care and Cancer
Chapter 15. Palliative Care and End-Stage Heart Disease
Chapter 16. Palliative Care and Chronic Lung Disease
Chapter 17. Palliative Care and Neurological Disorders
Chapter 18. Palliative Care and End-Stage Kidney Disease
Chapter 19. Palliative Care and End-Stage Liver Disease
Chapter 20. Palliative Care and Palliative Care and HIV/AIDS
SECTION IV. PHYSICAL HEALTH: SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT
Chapter 21. Palliative Care and Pain: Assessment and Treatment Using a Multimodal Approach
Chapter 22. Palliative Care and Dyspnea
Chapter 23. Palliative Care and Anxiety, Depression, and Delirium
Chapter 24. Palliative Care and Palliative Care and Gastrointestinal Symptoms
Chapter 25. Palliative Care and Fatigue
Chapter 26. Palliative Care and Minimizing Skin Alterations
Chapter 27. Palliative Care and Care of the Actively Dying
