Nursing care of the terminal lung cancer patient.

Care of the terminal lung cancer patient will be more effective when a multidisciplinary approach is used. Planning for terminal care should not be delayed until the last few hours or days of life. Hospice care offers the terminal lung cancer patient an alternative to dying in a hospital or nursing home. Caring support to alleviate pain and prevent suffering is the goal of nursing care for the terminal cancer patient. Nursing interventions should be directed toward allowing the patient to retain decision-making authority in care for as long as possible.