MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Abstract

Nursing values encompasses caring, compassion, collaboration, commitment, empowerment, equality along with health promotion. In the present time, the global community focuses on strengthening palliative care as a component of integrated care throughout the life course. The World Health Organization has implemented palliative care policies to move from fragmented efforts towards worldwide collaboration in the Sixty-seventh World Health Assembly, 2014. In this regard ideal nursing leadership within health administration, clinical, education and research is the foundation to promote safe, effective, and appropriate care for patients with palliative care needs. A specialist palliative care has been established to improve care, reduce health care costs, and potentially increase survival. But specialist palliative care is not routinely available to all dying patients. This gap can be largely lled through the implementation of a palliative approach, also referred to as primary palliative care. A palliative approach is care that is delivered by the patients' usual care team to reduce suffering and distress. Through persuasion, nursing leaders can inuence others in making this vision a reality. Each and every nurses' ought to visualize the methods to deliver a palliative approach within their care settings, taking into consideration the populations to be served; the expertise of the clinical team and suitable change strategies. Therefore commendable nursing leaders at all stages of the health care system play a vital role in inspiring others to provide competent and compassionate palliative care. They can readily recognize the contribution of others, celebrate achievements and approve the use of values. Consequently, ideal nursing leadership, at all levels of the health care system lays the base for quality palliative care, helps to lessen disparities and improves palliative care outcomes for everyone. As a result by embracing these leadership qualities nurses will play a central role in establishing appropriate palliative care to support and help in the management of complex care needs for patients. In this issue of The Malaysian Journal of Nursing the choice of articles will help the nurses achieve the vision for palliative care within all levels of the health care system.