The challenge of bad news or illness may be met with personal growth by the patient. The integrity of the whole person may be maintained if the person can compensate for what is lost. 10 Many involved in hospice work report the end of life to be an opportunity for personal growth by patients. Reviewing earlier experiences of growth in a patient's life may assist the patient in identifying the processes by which he or she best learns and develops. Research into what has been possible for others at the end of life may challenge the patient's sense of limitation.
Volunteer work can help some patients regain a sense of purpose and value.
Embracing the moment Bad news often represents a threat to the future, but the resultant suffering may be preempted by embracing the present moment. A patient focused on current feelings, experiences, and meaning may avoid the pain caused by considering a future darkly circumscribed by a bad prognosis. This focus may help dissolve barriers and bring about a sense of intimacy and wholeness. Patients often find comfort in learning from their clinicians that the bad news is not their fault. Clinicians can facilitate the patient's own search for meaning by encouraging the patient to undertake an examination of his or her life and memories.