Palliative Care

adrienurse, LPN · Jul 19, 2002

Also, I notice that we don't have a palliative care forum here. Do any of you actually work on a palliative care unit?

pebbles, BSN, RN · Jul 19, 2002

University of manitoba BN program has a palliative care course included in the mandatory curriculum... I know most other places have it as an optional course. It's in the fourth year, so it's mostly only the "senior" students taking the course.

Ten weeks, classes three times a week, and clinical two days a week, for half-days. It was definitely enough - just enough to get a sense of what this specialty is all about, without overdoing it. This is the rotation where it finally hit home to me what nursing is all about.... I'm so glad I got to take that course. Now I think about "palliation" issues in many of my patients - even those that don't quite have the "terminal" label attached to them yet.

Oh - adrienurse, I see you are from Winterpeg too!

hello!

adrienurse, LPN · Jul 19, 2002

I graduated from the U of M. Half of the reason why I'm asking is because the profs used to claim their program was unique. I draw on my palliative care teachings almost every day.

Kayzee · Jul 19, 2002

No palliative care training. I just learned from experiences. i feel it should have been offered.

Cascadians · Jul 19, 2002

Some facilities and home health care agencies are putting Terminal but not yet Hospice patients in an in-between model called Palliative Care. More attention is given to quality of life holistic issues and listening to the patient and family and keeping the patient comfortable. This approach is valuable :)

In Oregon, the Assisted Suicide State, there is a lot of ongoing research into end-of-life concerns so Palliative Care is ever changing and progressing.

Would highly encourage schools to teach as much as possible about Palliative Care and end-of-life issues. Also, Drs really need a LOT of classroom and clinical time in Terminal Bedside Manners! including how to address Advance Directives and gently discussing DNRs with patients and families before dire emergencies :eek:

micro, RN · Jul 19, 2002

I don't remember, so I don't think it was much. Most by experience and even with experience.....it seems determinant on where you are working, the doc, etc.

bandaidexpert, BSN, RN · Jul 21, 2002

Our MD's document palliative care in progress notes instead of ordering Hospice. I deal with alot of palliative care related to wound management. I recently took a short CEU course on this subject, very interesting.

Tookie · Jul 21, 2002

Adrienurse

good topic - have you got any good sites you would recommend for further reading on this subject

At our facility - aged care area - we consider that all residnts are really in their fianl stages of life and in many ways our care should be focused around palliative care principles - I will add here - l have been at this current facility for over 5 years and out of the 50 beds there would be at least 20 residnts who have been there longer than me.

Would be grateful for good sites to add to my favorites -

Thanking you in advance

aimeee, BSN, RN · Jul 21, 2002

None. But some of us were given the opportunity to spend a day with Hospice as one of our "specialty" days. I would love to see a course in palliative care required for nurses in long term care settings especially.

adrienurse, LPN · Jul 21, 2002

I realize now that palliative care and hospice care are interchangeable in a lot of ways. We have a 30 bed palliative care unit in my facility. It is an inpatient facility that focuses on symptom and pain control and family support. For some reason actual hospices are a little bit less recognized in my city. Although I am a gerontologic nurse, I call on my skills in palliative care very often. It is really a philosophy of respect and support of anyone that is terminal.

Sandra, you asked about some resources. Off the cuff here are a few:

Victoria Hospice Society www.fcns-caregiving.org/archives.html

Some reading suggestions. I especially recommend the publication by the Victoria Hospice Society. I refer to it heavily in terms of symptom control in active dying phase -- have never seen it explained better. www.library.ubc.ca/extension/courses/nurs409g.htm

I was happy to know that the Canadian Nurses Association will now be offering certification in Palliative care.

Tookie · Jul 22, 2002

Thank you Adrienurse

Have added them to my favourites and will send them to myself at work - l can make time at work to read them properley

In Australia now there are a number of reconised courses being run on Palliative care at different levels - I cant remeber to what level of degree/ diploma etc - will try and remeber to chach that out when work settles a little - hopefully at the end of this week.