More than half of nurses have treated patients receiving end-of-life care in corridors or other makeshift spaces, a survey has found.
Time pressures and issues with staffing levels were also cited as a barrier to providing care to terminal patients.
Nurses also spoke of widespread problems in care planning, leading to uncertainty and in some cases CPR being performed on patients against their wishes.
The joint Marie Curie and Nursing Standard poll of 1,153 nurses and healthcare professionals across the UK found 55% had treated patients in corridors or non-clinical areas.
More than seven in 10 (%) said people being treated in areas not designed for end-of-life care compromised dignity and left families and loved ones distressed.
In terms of barriers to providing care, some 72.2% said staffing levels are a constraint, while 56.2% said a lack of time is an issue.
Elsewhere, Marie Curie found there were problems with care planning, which led to uncertainty around patient wishes at the end of their life.
More than a third of nurses said they had witnessed CPR being performed when they felt it was inappropriate.
One nurse told of a CPR being performed on a terminal cancer patient who ended up dying on the bathroom floor.
They said: “We were never going to get her back.
“She died on the floor in the bathroom, undignified, family hysterical, staff all left traumatised.”
Another nurse said an older man carried a paper care plan in his pocket to ensure he was not subject to intervention against his wishes.
Sarah Williamson, director of nursing and quality at Marie Curie, said: “These harrowing stories are incredibly difficult to read, but it’s so important that we are aware of the stark reality facing nurses, clinical teams, families and patients every day.
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