Dame Cicely Saunders is not well known as a nursing theorist, but is undoubtedly worthy of her recognition as the founder of the modern hospice movement. She developed the theory of ‘total pain’ which bases care of the dying on the whole person; treating not just the physical expressions or perceptions of pain, but also the psychological, social and spiritual aspects. This article considers how other models of end of life nursing care compare to Dame Cicely’s theory and whether total pain theory can be applied in practice today.