End-of-Life Care: A Paradigm of Nursing Knowledge

Abstract

Death is the human experience which best exemplifies the limits of science and technology in their fight against nature. In Western societies, family care of the dying becomes substituted by health professionals and institutions which in turn convert death into anotherproductive process of modern economic life. The phenomenon of death, understood more as failure of life rather than a natural limitation of it, has generated not only a technical culture focused on prolonging life but also a practice culture which is a source of knowledge for health sciences. Man does not control death; we know more about it than ever, but still lack the essential knowledge necessary to shed light on its meaning. As such, it is the isolation and solitude of the dying person, together with the taxonomic frenzy marking procedures and behaviors, which characterize the process.