Exploring the role of hospice nursing in a surgical center for civilian victims of war

The ramifications of the long war in Afghanistan are far reaching. The loss of lives and the destruction of infrastructure and primary health care services constitute a continuing crisis accentuated by the uncertainty surrounding the withdrawal of American forces. Many NGO’s have attempted to address a portion of these concerns, often focusing on the ongoing  need for emergent care in the face on violent conflict. In August of 2013 I spent a few weeks working at the Surgical Center for Civilian Victims of war, operated by the humanitarian war relief organization, Emergency. My stay coincided with the end of Ramadan, traditionally a period of increased violence. What I observed suggested that the rupture in continuity of care provided to these war victims is the lack of hospice and palliative care measures. Not all will survive their injuries yet terminal care is seldom a priority when the focus is on saving lives. This presentation offers my experiences from a hospice nurse perspective and it draws upon  my affiliation with Emergency. I suggest that the provision of end of life care is a basic human right consistent with the cornerstone of Emergency’s humanitarian work, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. American health care professionals have well developed protocols and interventions to address the needs of the dying. Sharing this expertise within Emergency’s hospital in Kabul would provide tangible comfort and international support. It is also a gesture toward restitution and reconciliation and one consistent with the practice of holistic public health nursing.