In a recent doctoral thesis, Lisa Hjelmfors explored the prevalence and practice of nurses discussing prognosis and end-of-life care with patients with heart failure and the nurses’ perspectives regarding discussing prognosis and end-of-life care.

Her research showed that most nurses discussed prognosis and end-of-life care with a patient with heart failure at some point in their clinical practice. Although they found that they have a role in these discussions, they found that the main responsibility for this discussion is with the physician. Together with sexuality, discussing prognosis and end-of-life are the least frequently discussed topics in heart failure clinics.

Lisa Hjelmfors points out that end-of life care should be included as a part of the daily routine at heart failure clinics and nurses should be encouraged to take more responsibility for discussing prognosis and end-of-life with patients and their care-givers.

Communication with patients with heart failure should always be tailored, this is strengthened by the findings in her research that patients have different preferences in discussing prognosis and end-of-life.

But a lot of research is yet to come. We have to find good ways to make it easier to discuss end-of-life and prognoses for both nurses and patients. End-of-life simulations could provide successful and appreciated learning situations for nursing students, teaching them communication skills in challenging situation.  A prompt list could help patients to initiate discussion. Research is also needed on how to include care-givers in discussing end-of-life and prognosis and look at their perspectives on these discussions.