Palliative Care

[frozenyogurt]

I am thinking of working in palliative care in the future. Besides pain management and effective communication skills with families, what other nursing skills would I need to work in this setting? Would work experience in an acute medicine unit be "sufficient" to help me ease into palliative care? Thanks! :)

[Lio-RN]

I am a new grad RN and most reason for me to become a nurse was a Palliative Care. By now I work on medical floor and wait an opportunity to be back in Palliative care. Why "be back" (I told, I am a new grad), because I had been worked in palliative as a PSW for 4 years, and my consolidation placement was in palliative. I kind of know both fields (acute medicine and palliative) and they both so different. I think it is not enough to have only excellent communication skills and experience in medicine. You also should have life experience and special passion. If you not finish your school yet, I would recomend you to take more psychology courses and ask for a placement in palliative.

If you elaborate your question more, I would be happy to answer all your questions.

[loriangel14, RN]

I see it not as needing certain skills as so much having a certain type of personality or attitude towards death and dying. Some people are not cut out for it while others are drawn to it. I deal with many palliative patients and I feel that it is a special thing to care for a patient and their family at this time. Making sure that a patient is above all comfortable and feels safe and surrounded by caring is important. Helping a family to understand what is happening and what to expect amkes the expereince a betterone for them as well. Having a loved one surrounded by nurses that are compassionate and caring is quite often the sentiment expressed by the families at this time.