How to give comfort care at the end of life
Other platforms explain it with text and video. In VMS you practice it on the patient.
Comfort care focuses on relieving symptoms when cure is no longer the goal. Good care helps the patient die with dignity and supports the family.
Step by step
Confirm the goals
Review the care goals and code status with the patient or family. [1]
Treat pain
Give pain medicines such as morphine as ordered and check comfort often. [2]
Ease breathlessness
Raise the head, use a fan on the face and give medicines as ordered. [3]
Give mouth care
Keep lips and mouth moist with swabs and lip balm. [3]
Reposition gently
Turn for comfort and skin protection, not on a strict schedule if it causes distress. [3]
Explain changes
Tell the family about expected changes such as noisy breathing and cool hands. [4]
Support the family
Allow time, privacy and spiritual support, and listen. [1]
Common errors
- Undertreating pain out of fear of opioids.
- Not preparing the family for changes.
- Continuing tests that do not help comfort.
Practice it in VMS
In VMS you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.
VMS cases that train this skill
Sources
- NCSBN 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan
- Open RN, Nursing Pharmacology 2e (CC BY 4.0)
- Open RN, Nursing Fundamentals 2e (CC BY 4.0)
- AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit (Teach-Back)
- CDC STEADI (falls in older adults)
Facts and steps follow CDC STEADI (falls in older adults); NCSBN 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan. VMS is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.