This guide will help you understand what is important when caring for a person approaching the end of their life – particularly the last year of their life. It will also help support your communication skills when discussing end-of-life care and enable you to navigate difficult conversations whilst maintaining compassionate patient care.

This guide complements the RCN online resources on end-of-life care. It could also be used as a tool to support learning on some of the challenges that may present when caring for patients who are dying.

Inspirational quotes

Nursing is a profession shaped by compassion, resilience, and the profound connections formed with patients and families. Throughout history, many voices have reflected on the unique role nurses play in offering comfort, presence, and care. The following collection of quotes captures these perspectives, highlighting the values and experiences that underpin nursing practice and reminding us of the human heart at the centre of end-of-life care.

• “As a nurse, you know that every day you will touch a life …or a life will touch yours.” (Anonymous)
• “There is a moral task of caregiving, and that involves just being there, being with that person and being committed...” (Dr Arthur Kleinman)
• “Nurses dispense comfort, compassion, and caring without even a prescription.” (Val Saintsbury)
• “Self-care is giving the world the best of you instead of what is left of you.” (Kate Reed)
• "As a nurse, we have the opportunity to heal the heart, mind, soul, and body of our patients, their families and ourselves. They may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” (Maya Angelou)

The RCN definition of nursing “is a safety-critical profession founded on four pillars: clinical practice, education, research, and leadership. Registered nurses use evidence-based knowledge, professional and clinical judgement to assess, plan, implement and evaluate high-quality person-centred nursing care.” (RCN 2024 pg. 1).

The fundamentals of care include information on nutrition, hydration, bladder and bowel care, physical handling, and ensuring that those receiving care are kept in clean and hygienic conditions (NMC 2018).

The fundamentals of nursing care at the end of life are grounded in the broader principles of nursing practice. These principles emphasise dignity, compassion, and person-centred care, all of which are essential when supporting individuals and families through dying and bereavement. For a full outline of the definition and principles of nursing, see our guidance: The definition and principles of nursing.