Reflective Essay: The Best Practice Of Palliative Care

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Recommended: The role of the nurse in palliative care

When I become a nurse, one of the specialties I am considering is palliative care. I know it would be difficult; however, it is a very rewarding and important job in the field of nursing. Being involved in palliative care would give me the opportunity to act as a caring support system for patients and their families as they face many tough decisions. I believe these patients need an advocate to both help them through the process and help them interact with their families about treatments they may or may not want. The Best Practice I chose to write about brings to light the need for Advanced Care Planning (ACP) as well as the best way to achieve it. According to the article I selected from the American Journal of Nursing, “Advanced Care Planning: The Nurse’s Role,” Zumi (2017) stated that “The Hospice and Palliative Nursing Association aims to guide nurses in preventing and relieving suffering and in giving the best possible care to patients and families, regardless of the stage of disease or the need for other therapies. The HPNA offers education, certification, advocacy, leadership, and research.” …show more content…

Many people believe it is inappropriate and harmful to discuss someone’s end of life plan. However, there isn’t any research that shows it is counterproductive to the patient. Zumi (2017) also stated that “Instead, there is increasing evidence supporting the benefits of the process, including a higher rate of patients receiving value-concordant care—in which patients’ end-of-life wishes are more likely to be known and followed—and a reduction in “decisional conflict” and anxiety and depression experienced by family

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