...The aim of this essay is to explore an aspect of care that a client group receives whilst in the community setting. The chosen aspect of care will be palliative care delivered to those patients who have been told they have a non-curative illness but are not yet at the end of life. The stage of the illness of the client group chosen is one where the patient is managed at home because there as there is nothing anyone can do to make things better (Calman-Hine Report 1998). The essay will also briefly describe three different professional groups involved in providing palliative care. It will then go on to discuss how good communication and collaborative working between these professional can provide the best quality of care of the patient and how poor communication can compromise the patients quality of care. Palliative care can be defined as the overall care of patients whose disease does not respond to curative treatment. The aim of Palliative care is to improve as much as possible the quality of life of patients and their families facing a life-threatening illness. This can be achieved by providing pain and symptom relief, spiritual and psychosocial support from diagnosis to bereavement (WHO 2002). Patients with life threatening illness may require care from a variety of different specialists and services at a number of points in their illness; this will include both statutory and non-statutory organisations (National Health Service Executive 1998). To ensure that all...
Words: 1114 - Pages: 5
...Hospice and Attitudes toward Death Unitie Mance Soc 304: Social Gerontology Kristin Bachman February 27, 2012 A dying man needs to die, as a sleepy man needs to sleep, and there comes a time when it is wrong, as well as useless, to resist. Stewart Alsop Death, dying and bereavement finds a way of impacting everyday living. Images of real or fictional death are often while watching television or movies. Death can impact people on a personal and a cultural level. This essay will entail how cultural attitudes toward dying, death, and bereavement have changed. While examining hospice, the care obtained, and its role in this shift. Cultural attitudes toward dying, death, and bereavement have changed. There are enormous variations across societies and over time in attitudes toward death. Some societies engage in death avoidance while others celebrate the communion between the living and the dead. In the United States there has been an immense change in the process of dying from past centuries to the present. “This change is partly due to a shift in the average age of death and the association of dying with old age” (Aubrey, 2007). It is also caused by a change in the causes of death. At one time most people died from critical illnesses that struck quickly. Now people are more likely to die from a chronic illness that leads to a slow death. The setting for death has also changed. Most deaths in the past occurred in the home. Now death typically takes place in a medical setting...
Words: 917 - Pages: 4
...Running head: Research Critique, Part 1 Research Critique, Part 1 Grand Canyon University: NRS-433V Introduction to Nursing Research May 20, 2012 Research Critique, Part 1 Advanced Care Planning (ACP) is a huge part of healthcare. Dying is a part of life, but that doesn’t make the subject any less scary. Just because healthcare professionals handle end of life issues on a regular basis, doesn’t mean that they are immune to the sensitivities of the topic. End-of-life decision making is the process that healthcare providers, patients, and patients’ families go through when considering what treatments will or will not be used to treat a life-threatening illness. (Thelen, 2005) Many nurses who deal with death and decision making burn out. Hospice staff, because of their work with the terminally ill, are considered a high-risk group for burnout. Often, the reason behind the decision to leave or take a sabbatical from hospice work is that the staff member reached the limits of his or her capacity to care and “couldn’t take it anymore.” (Keidel, 2002) A qualitative study done, on anticipating emotion, related to ACP, was chosen to be critiqued, due to this highly sensitive topic in the healthcare industry. The subject this study was critiqued on, were, the problem statement, purpose and research question, literature review, and conceptual/theoretical framework. The clinical problem, addressed, is that end of life discussions between healthcare professionals and clients...
Words: 915 - Pages: 4
...Come Join the Hospice and Palliative Nurses’ Association Houston chapter! Why Join HPNA Houston Chapter? • Free monthly subscription to CHPNA TODAY, a nursing journal with up-to-date articles and the most cutting edge research in hospice and palliative nursing • Speakers teach us how to apply research findings in clinical practice! • Bi-annual workshops and CEU’s • Fellowship with like minded professionals and networking opportunities • Houston chapter sponsors a bi-monthly newsletter for all things local in Hospice and Palliative Care! • Free study materials for CHPN certification! • Free Tote bag, T-shit and professional pin! Requirements for Membership: • Must be RN or LVN practicing in Hospice and/or Palliative Care setting for 18 months+ (special circumstances considered) • $120 yearly member ship fee, waived for members 55 years and up! American Cancer Society says, “HPNA is leading the charge for evidence based practice in a bourgeoning specialty.” Ruth M RN says, “ I have been a hospice nurse for 10 years, and yet I learn something new about this field and how to deliver care nearly every week!” Come see for yourself! This Monday November 15th HPNA Houston chapter is hosting an Ice Cream Social with keynote guest speaker Dr. John Wessley. Topic: “Caregiver Fatigue: Caring for yourself and Others, an RN’s perspective” Monthly meetings held the third Friday of the month 7:00p-8:30p In the M.D. Anderson...
Words: 366 - Pages: 2
...Pauline HCS/552 Health Care Economics July 09, 2012 Amy Stoles Abstract The United States has a great consumer demand for health care services. The supply of these services or products, such as new medications or medical equipment, is affected by many factors. Factors such as the situation of a financial aspect, patient education and the quality of the services or products being distributed. Care of the Dying “Hospice care is palliative care given to individuals who are terminally ill, with an expected survival of six months or less. The focus of hospice care is on meeting the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the dying individual, while fostering the highest quality of life possible.” (Rastegari RN, B.S.N., 2002, para.). In the way that our world is becoming, we are seeing many individuals coming down with diseases that are either not curable or that it has ran its’ course in the body and that there is nothing that can be done to prolong life. This is when this type of service is needed and many of individuals, especially the minorities and the American Indians. Many people do not understand what Hospice is all about. When they do find out about it, then they wish that it was known about sooner. The sole purpose of using this service is to help reduce both the physical pain and the emotional suffering of the patient during their final stages of the illness that they are dying from. According to "Evercare Hospice And Palliative Care" (2012) Hospice is not...
Words: 1201 - Pages: 5
...and Oregon are the three states also assist Seattle Cancer Care Alliance in Doctor-Hastened death naming it Death with dignity which was implemented in 2009, in Washington and in Oregon took effect in 1988. Elizabeth Trice Loggers, MD, PhD is a Medical Director at SCCA (Seattle Cancer Center Alliance) stated “Our goal is still to cure cancer.” “When we, unfortunately, can’t cure cancer, our goal is then to relieve suffering, to be doctors caring for all patients and families with cancer. This is simply one of a full range of high-quality, end-or-life options.” Doctors are supposed to cure people respect, honor the rules not end a life when a person makes the choice of ending his/her life still under medication, radiation etc. etc. That doesn’t give a physician right to prescribe lethal medication when a patient isn’t in there right state of mind. The American Medical Association adopted policy opposing doctor-aided death in 1993 and has since reaffirmed that position numerous times. AMA President Jeremy A. Lazarus, MD States “The AMA continues to adamantly oppose physician-assisted suicide as unethical and fundamentally inconsistent with the pledge physicians make to devote themselves to healing,” “Rather than sanction physician-assisted suicide, the AMA asserts that we should recognize the urgent necessity of extending to all patients the palliative care they need and redouble our efforts to provide such care to all. “Physicians must be able to respond aggressively to...
Words: 430 - Pages: 2
...request a final act of dignity. “Physician-assisted death is defined as the physician providing the means for death, most often with a prescription. The patient not the physician will ultimately administer the lethal medication” (Braddock & Tonelli, 1998). If a patient can come to a decision when it is time to stop treatment for their terminal illness, they should also be allowed to choose when to bring death. End of life care has become an equally important issue to physicians as well as the patients. If physician-assisted deaths were permitted in all 50 states, physicians could openly discuss end of life wishes with their patients. With all the advances in modern medicine, people are living much longer which allows for a higher risk in developing a terminal illness. A few examples of terminal illnesses are cancer, strokes, Alzheimer’s disease, renal failure, and heart failure. With increasing numbers in terminal illnesses more options for end of life decisions need to be available. There comes a crucial point in patient care when the focus will shift from curing the patient to providing acceptable quality of life. Quality of life can be defined as the patient's ability to enjoy normal life activities. The patient will have to make difficult decisions about their final time on this earth. Physicians hope...
Words: 2055 - Pages: 9
...Bereavement The effectiveness of bereavement in hospice surroundings is beneficial to those that are losing a loved one with the emotional support. Bereavement is a combination of therapeutic and social support for the grieving process, (Reid, Field, Payne, & Relf, 2006). People react differently when they are going to or have lost a love one or someone close. The feelings connected to bereavement are numbness, anger, guilt, anxiety, helplessness, relief, and acceptance, (Cutcliffe, 2002). Bereavement is not just tied to a family member dyeing, but it can be when two people are divorcing or if someone close has moved away. Bereavement counseling is important for the person who is going through the grieving process to seek counseling, (Cutcliffe, 2002). The counselor will focus on the client in a therapeutic surrounding by teaching their client how to accept their loss. Counselors will allow the client to work through the pain, provide their client with mental tools to adjust to their surroundings, and teach their client how to control his/her emotions by and allowing him/herself to continue with life, (Cutcliffe, 2002). There are support groups that provide the person who is grieving with mutual support, understanding, and empathy. Some people need to handle their loss with medication because of them being depressed. Medication may also help with those who suffer from insomnia or excessive anxiety. Some people can overcome the grieving process by treating themselves...
Words: 498 - Pages: 2
...Organisational structure Organizational structure refers to both the formal and informal frameworks that shape how a business is operated. An organization structure determines how employees are grouped together and plays a large role in a firm’s success. Choosing a structure is not a one-size-fits-all decision, and business owners must select the model that best suits the needs of their organization. Traditionally, many organisations have been in the form of a Pyramid structure. Most responsibility lies at the top and there is more staff at the bottom with less responsibility. There is a hierarchy, and staffs know their position within the organisation. Hierarchies have tall and flat structure Tall organisation Tall organizational structure is one which has many levels of hierarchy. In these organizations, there are usually many managers, and each manager has a narrow span of control, they are in charge of only a small group of people. Tall structures tend to be more complicated and complex, and may be slower to respond to market changes than organizations where managers have a larger span of control. Employee satisfaction may be lower in a tall organization because of the many layers of bureaucracy and rigid rules. Tall organizations may face higher costs than in other types of business structures. One reason for this is the large number of managers and supervisors required in a tall structure. Advantages: There are various advantages of tall organizations. *...
Words: 2029 - Pages: 9
...Begin by analyzing the sales approach of the organization that sells the product or service you have chosen. Describe the role of the sales professional and present your own personal selling philosophy. • Describe the personal selling role *comp 1 1 of 3 for this product (consultative, strategic, or partnership). What are the expectations of the personal selling role within the company? • There are three primary differentiators that mark a Consultative Salesperson: • - They ask more questions. • - They provide customized vs. vs. generic solutions. • - Their calls are more interactive. • - They provide insights to their prospects and customers http://www.richardson.com/Who-We-Are/Thought-Leadership/Defining-Consultative-Selling/ • Consultative Selling is all about the dialogue between the salesperson and the customer. The word dialogue comes from the Greek and means “to learn.” In Consultative Selling, the salesperson learns about customer needs before talking product. Product knowledge is transformed into a tailored solution when the solution is delivered and positioned based on the customer’s needs and language. http://www.richardson.com/Who-We-Are/Thought-Leadership/Defining-Consultative-Selling/ • With Consultative Selling, the customer’s needs come first. Needs are identified through a combination of preparation and effective probing and drilling-down into customer answers. Consultative Selling took the hard edge from product selling and...
Words: 1720 - Pages: 7
...STUDY GUIDE for C475 Care of Older Adult Objective Assessment Exam questions are taken from the Learning Objectives under the 9 Competencies: #1 Competency 742.1.1: Compassionate and Respectful Care of Older Adults The graduate integrates principles of compassion and respect for patients and their families into the planning and delivery of care to a diverse population of older adults and into advocacy for vulnerable older adults. This topic addresses the following learning objectives: * Recognize the impact of attitudes, values, and expectations about aging. * Describe how the RN’s personal beliefs and values may impact the care of older adults. * Articulate the concept of individualized care as the standard of practice with older adults, considering the right care, at the right time, in the right place and by the right provider of care. * Define Baby Boomers * What are the five racial groups listed in your text? * How would you perform discharge teaching to an Hispanic patient * Apply effective and respectful communication strategies in the care of older adults and their families. * List some of the changes of aging that could affect therapeutic communication * Note the ways to communicate or assist a patient with disabilities such as hearing deficits, vision impairments, or aphasia and dysarthria. Be familiar with the types of hearing devices. How should you address the older adult during therapeutic communication? ...
Words: 3902 - Pages: 16
...Community Health Nursing SZT Task 2 February 7, 2014 A. Personal Perceptions Serving as a patient care advocate is the most important role a nurse serves as a health care provider. Nurses serve to support the patient, sometimes having to put their own personal beliefs and values to the side. Although this is ingrained in us as nurses, sometimes health care providers allow their emotions to alter their perspective when dealing with death and dying. For twenty-four years I have served as a critical care nurse, and as an ICU nurse, I have been trained to help patients and families through this time of illness to provide care to help them heal and get better. Despite all that we do to treat patients, sometimes their illnesses are such that they do not get better and a decision is made to pursue comfort care. Since we are trained to help patients and families heal, this can be difficult to handle. Regardless of my personal feelings or beliefs, I always encourage my patients and their families to make the decisions that are best for them with the information they have been given. Our job as patient care advocates is crucial, especially when dealing with end of life and quality of life issues. The National Institute of Health defines hospice as “end of life care provided by health professionals and volunteers.” This type of care gives attention to pain control while trying to keep the patient as alert as possible. A referral to hospice is placed when a patient...
Words: 1855 - Pages: 8
...Dying in a Hospital Setting Elizabeth Allegro Aspen University Abstract Acute hospitals play a significant role in end of life care, it is the place where most people die. Evidence suggests that end of life care in hospitals needs improvement. The purpose of this paper was to investigate patient and family experiences of hospital death, the weaknesses within the hospital setting and possible solutions to improve. A literature search identified common themes, these included: * Hospitals are seen as a place of treatment and cure; death may be viewed as a failure. * Good communication between physician and patient is vital for a patient to make an informed choice regarding their care. * Patients may not receive palliative care if end of life is diagnosed too late. * A lack of resources such as short staffing contributes to suboptimal end of life care. Dying in a Hospital Setting Most Americans die in hospitals; many suffer unnecessarily due to the lack of knowledge about end of life care. Some patients receive aggressive treatments up until the time of death. Patients often suffer in vain attempts to prolong life instead of receiving compassionate, comfort care. Death is part of life, sooner or later everyone will face death. It would be easier if one was prepared for it. Communication is important to prepare for death. There is often an expectation of a cure when a patient is hospitalized;...
Words: 3226 - Pages: 13
...Chapter 7- Ethical Problems of Death and Dying: Option 1 A 45-year-old man with metastatic lymphoma cancer has decided to try palliative chemotherapy because "otherwise I might just as well roll over and give up." After the first cycle chemo, he requires hospitalization for fever and neutropenia (a complication of the chemotherapy). You stop by for a visit, and he says he feels terrible and wonders "if the chemo is worth all this", but that he's too scared to stop. WHAT DO YOU TELL YOUR PATIENT?- Patients with cancer and depression experience more physical symptoms, have poorer quality of life, and are more likely to have suicidal thoughts, or a desire for hastened death. The association between cancer and suicidal behavior is neither unusual nor surprising. Depression, pain, debility, hopelessness and a sense of being a burden to others have been identified as key risk factors for suicidal behavior in cancer patients (Rosenstein, 2011, p. 101). In this scenario the issue of when medical care might be considered futile, meaning, when the continuation of a particular treatment might have the anticipated medical effect and yet not be beneficial to the patient any longer rises an must be addressed accordingly. Chemotherapy and other medications used in cancer treatment (glucocorticoids, narcotics, benzodiazepines, antihistamines, and antibiotics) often lead to adverse effects that mimic depression. For example, dopamine-blocking antiemetic’s such as metoclopramide (Reglan)...
Words: 738 - Pages: 3
...you want to take any steps possible to relieve their pain and suffering? 3. Satisfaction Step: Physician-assisted suicide should be an option for terminally ill patients throughout the United States. This would allow for those terminally ill patients to end their suffering, and die with dignity. 4. Visualization Step: Some argue that legalizing physician-assisted suicide would result in everybody wanting to kill themselves. However, this is not the case. There are strict and specific guidelines to prevent its misuse. For example, in Oregon, you must have been diagnosed with a terminal disease that will result in death in less than 6 months. The prescribing physician must also inform the patient of alternatives such as hospice and palliative care. 5. Action Step: Please go to www.compassionandchoices.org, and tell congress to support death with dignity, and help other...
Words: 325 - Pages: 2
