Recently I asked a group of nurses how they would describe the current state of nursing. Not surprisingly there were a variety of responses. Exciting, confusing, challenging, depressing, stressful and exhilarating were just some of the words used. As we applied these terms to nursing in general, and palliative care nursing in particular, we began to identify some of the central issues which must be addressed if conflicts are to be resolved. In this article I would like to explore some of these issues and suggest ways in which we, as nurses, might respond.
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