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Nursing vocabulary · Talking to Patients and Families

Palliative care

Meaning in nursing, with examples

/ˈpæliətɪv kɛr/nounCommon term

In nursing, palliative care means: Care that aims to relieve pain and other symptoms and support quality of life for people with a serious illness that cannot be cured, together with support for their families.

In Turkish: palyatif bakım, destekleyici bakım

How it is used

Palliative care can start early in an illness, alongside other treatment; 'end-of-life care' refers to the last weeks or days of life. Nurses refer patients to the palliative care team and talk about comfort, symptom control and the patient's wishes. A 'hospice' is a place that specialises in this care.

Example sentences

  1. The palliative care team are coming to see Mrs Koç about her pain and breathlessness.

  2. Palliative care isn't only for the last days of life; it can help much earlier.

Common collocations

  • palliative care team
  • refer to palliative care
  • specialist palliative care
  • palliative care nurse
  • pass awayA gentle, polite way of saying that someone has died, often used when speaking to families.
  • DNRShort for 'do not resuscitate': a medical decision, recorded in the notes, that CPR will not be attempted if the patient's heart or breathing stops.
  • pain scoreA number that shows how strong a patient's pain is, most often on a scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (the worst pain imaginable).
  • visiting hoursThe times of day when friends and family are allowed to visit patients on a ward.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Talking to Patients and Families

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.