Discussion # 2 : End of Life initial post. Due initial post due week 4 of class, and two peer responses on week 5 and 6 of class
End-of-Life Care (including advanced directives, palliation) Topics to review: Article: Nurses roles and responsibilities Providing care and support at end of life. https://www.nursingworld.org/~4af078/globalassets/docs/ana/ethics /endoflife-positionstatement.pdf
Peer answer
With an aging population and healthcare reform, palliative care is an essential component of the work of nurse practitioners. Inpatient and community-based palliative care programs are helping health systems, ACOs, physician practices, and skilled nursing facilities provide care that enhances patient outcomes, decreases hospitalizations, and improves patient satisfaction (Johnson & Gray, 2013).
Palliative and end-of-life care programs help improve care quality throughout the course of a patients illness. Patients that utilize palliative and end-of-life care tend to be more satisfied with their overall care and communication with providers, and they are less likely to end up in intensive care units and emergency departments (Johnson & Gray, 2013).
Collaboration is taking action to reach a common goal (Fawcett, 2010). It commits two or more persons or organizations to achieve a common goal through engagement, partnerships, and advocacy. For example, at the University of Miami Health, the nurses in my unit collaborated with the Florida Department of Health and other local agencies to plan a program for children experiencing developmental problems. Processes such as problem setting, direction setting, and structuring were addressed as some of the communication strategies used to accomplish the projects goals.
References
Johnson, S., & Gray, D. (2013). Understanding Nurses’ Experiences of Providing End-of-Life Care in the US Hospital Setting. Holistic Nursing Practice, 27(6), 318-328. Retrieved November 11, 2014, from Ovid.
