Ethical Challenges for Healthcare Practices at the End of Life: Interdisciplinary Perspectives

Anna-Henrikje Seidlein is a research fellow at the Institute of Ethics and History of Medicine at University Medicine Greifswald (Germany). She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Nursing Science and obtained her doctoral degree in Medical Ethics. She has a background in intensive care nursing and clinical ethics consultation. Her main research focus lies on socio-empirical research regarding ethical questions associated with health-care practices. Sabine Salloch is a professor and head of the Institute of Ethics, History and Philosophy of Medicine, Hannover Medical School (Germany). She has a background in medicine and philosophy and specialises in bioethical theory, empirical-ethical research and medical professionalism.

• Chapter 1. Introduction (Seidlein).- Part 1. Contexts of Professional Practice at the End of Life.- Chapter 2. Ethics of Uncertainty: a Conceptual Convergency (Camier-Lemoine).- Chapter 3. The Role of Uncertainty of Death in Palliative Carers (Camier-Lemoine).- Chapter 4. The Concept of ‘Spiritual Care’ at the End of Life (Kuhn).- Chapter 5. The Role of time at the Intensive Care Unit: Empirical Perspectives and Theoretical Considerations (Lonergan).- Part 2. Professional Standards at the End of Life.- Chapter 6. End of Life Care and Brazilian Medical Ethics Advances (Gryschek).- Chapter 7. Should the Family be Allowed to Override a Patient’s Decision to Become an Organ Donor after Death? (Kyrtata).- Chapter 8. Comparison of Self-assessed Competencies Regarding End of Life Ethics between Physicians and Nursing Staff – Survey Findings from the Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin (Mues).- Chapter 9. Blurring boundaries at End of Life (Kaiser).- Part 3. Treatment Preferences and Professional Companionship at the End of Life.- Chapter 10. Advance Care Planning in Germany (Volmering-Dierkes).- Chapter 11. Breaking Bad News in Cancer: An Assessment of Maltese Patients’ Preferences (Azzopardi).- Chapter 12. Exploring Palliative Care Referrals for Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Patients: A Systematic Review (French).- Chapter 13. Professional nurses’ role in end of life care – contexts and comparisons (Schnell).- Part 4. Ethics and (Inter-) Professionalism in Healthcare at the End of Life: A Discussion Paper.- Chapter 14. TBD (Azzopardi).