The Penguin dictionary states the definition of hope is to “To have faith in the possibility of something or to hope for something when there is virtually no possibility of it” (Hopel, 2007). In regards to Christianity, the thesaurus describes hope as “the desire and search for future good, difficult but not impossible to attain with …show more content…
Hope inspires the cancer patient to continue treatment and installs the belief that the patient will concur the cancer and with treatment the patient will prevail. A patient with hope and a positive outlook have an improved quality of life. Nurses may see family members with false hope when caring for the dying patient, in the last stages of death, as the patient has the moment of lucidity hours prior to death. In labor and delivery, nurses and families see the newborn as the epitome of hope (Katz, 2010, p. 439). Nurses develop hope for their patients and witness hope in patients and families in many different