Last offices: nurses' experiences of the process and their views about involving significant others

摘要

The procedure of last offices in nursing can be traced to the military and religious origins of the profession where there was an association between care given and the Christian administration of the last rites (Aries, 1974). As such, last offices have become an accepted nursing ritual which does not have a wide evidence base (Dougherty and Lister 2011). Although the procedure is focused around physical care activities, it also encompasses ongoing support of family and carers (National End of Life Care Programme (NEOLCP), 2011). Nursing procedural texts and national guidelines advocate the involvement of family members or carers in the procedure of last offices (Dougherty and Lister, 2011; NEOLCP, 2011), but offer no advice about the circumstances in which involvement may be appropriate or beneficial.