Women with recurrent ovarian cancer endure their disease by finding solace in the hope of recovery. How can nurses provide consolation?

Health personnel find that high-energy smoothies do not always have the intended effect. Some patients become obstipated or nauseous, and undernourished patients do not gain weight.

Measures such as the ‘getting-to-know-you’ day, the ‘float nurse’ function at an early stage, group meetings and internal training greatly benefitted supervisors and students at Oslo University Hospital.

Nurses report that the end-of-life nursing care provided in nursing homes calls on staff to provide “more of everything”, and that nurses feel they are “left to deal with everything on their own”. This situation must be taken seriously, organisationally and policywise.