Palliative and End of Life Care for Paramedics

Palliative and End of Life Care for Paramedics is a specialist paramedic textbook focused on delivering effective palliative care in prehospital settings. It is expertly designed for paramedics and emergency care professionals. Much of paramedic practice focuses on saving lives, yet Palliative and End of Life Care for Paramedics addresses a very different and equally complex clinical responsibility.

To provide high‑quality care for patients approaching the end-of-life requires careful judgement, compassion and ethical awareness. Decisions about whether to transfer palliative and end‑of‑life patients to hospital are often challenging. There are often significant emotional, clinical and practical implications for patients and their families.

This textbook provides practical guidance on end-of-life care, clinical decision-making and patient-centred treatment outside the hospital environment. Covering the ethical, legal and clinical aspects of palliative care, this book supports clinicians in managing complex situations. Readers can make better decisions around hospital transfer, symptom control and patient dignity. It equips paramedics with the knowledge and confidence to deliver compassionate and evidence-informed end of life care in practice.

Key features include:

– Twenty‑four case studies covering a range of relevant topics to support the application of principles in practice

– Clinical information on symptom control and pain management

– Written specifically for paramedics by a range of specialist authors

– Designated chapters on the role of the paramedic in palliative care, palliative care emergencies, and personal resilience

– Full‑colour diagrams throughout

Since the onset of the COVID‑19 pandemic, awareness of patient‑centred palliative care has increased. This textbook provides practical guidance to support paramedics in helping patients live, and die, with dignity and comfort.