Suffering has been defined as a specific state of distress that occurs when the intactness or integrity of the person is threatened or disrupted. Aminoff et al. (2004) found a significant association between the level of suffering and malnutrition. According to Maslow’s theory, in order to survive, one has to fulfil the basic needs, and the first of them is nutrition. Namely, one has to identify the patients suffering from lack of proper nutrition and adjust, according to a constructed protocol, the appropriate nutrition, in order to improve their condition and prevent complications.
Aim - When examining issues related to treatment at the end of life, the question arises regarding the benefit of food to the patient. While feeding is necessary for living when the basic aim is to remain living, in situations where the patient suffers, he sometimes prefers to die rather than to keep on suffering. The aim of the study was to understand the differences between patients view and nurses regarding suffering from food or lack of food. Method - Questions were asked to patients (n=29) regarding suffering relating to receiving or not receiving food. In addition to interviews with the patients, geriatric nurses (n=13), surgical nurses (n=22) and medical nurses (n=22) were also interviewed for their opinions regarding the suffering of the impaired communication patients relating to receiving or not receiving food. The opinions of the patients and the staff were compared.
Results - The nurses felt obliged feed the patients at any cost, but in relation to themselves, the situation was reversed and they would not want to be fed at any cost.  Finally, most of the patients and most of the nurses agree that a patient being fed through a feeding tube suffers less than a patient who does not receive food at all.