First and Last Name/s of Presenters

Kelly Castro, Sacred Heart UniversityFollow

Mentor/s

Dr. Eileen Yost

Participation Type

Poster

Abstract

Title: Death and Dying: Deciding Between Hospice and Palliative Care

Author: Kelly Castro

Purpose: Provide education on death and dying to family members as they navigate through this time specifically differentiating between hospice and palliative care.

Background: After spending several weeks on an oncology unit it was discovered that many patients and family members are ill informed about their options at end of life. They are often confused about the differences between hospice and palliative care. It is a difficult time for families and it is essential to provide all the necessary information to decide upon a plan of care. This issue lead to the formation of an educational brochure aiding family members in deciding between hospice and palliative care.

Methods and Results: The completed brochure providing education on hospice and palliative care as well as guidance for emotional support was distributed through the oncology unit. The patient and family’s baseline knowledge on these options was assessed first revealing little to no knowledge on the differences between hospice and palliative care and were often left with many unanswered questions. The brochure is a gate fold pamphlet with six sections filled with information and noted references. It is colorful, typed in a legible font, and includes pictures. After distribution, the patients provided positive feedback and stated the brochures gave them crucial information used to decide between hospice and palliative care for their loved one. The results of implementation were not only positive from the patients and families but from the staff as well who can utilize this tool to teach patients and answer questions.

Discussion: Hospice and palliative care are the two frequently chosen care options at the end of life. Patients and family members often lack the necessary information to decide which option works best for them. This leads to the need of more education which the created brochure provided. This brochure held significance among the oncology unit because it was a tool each and every patient at the end of life could benefit from. The patients and staff on the unit revealed the the brochure aided them in better understanding the two options which eased the stress of decision making at such difficult time. Along with the education the brochure also provided resources for emotional support for the family which is crucial during this time in order to make the best decision for the loved one.

Conclusion: This project identified a need in the community of nursing and established a way to aid both the nursing community and patient and families. The knowledge of end of life care and the emotional support is lacking in patients and families. The brochure created assists the nurses by providing an easy way to educate their patients and their families When the patients and the families receive this brochure and the knowledge that comes along with it they are able to make not only the most informed decision but this best decision for their future care.

College and Major available

Nursing BSN

Location

University Commons

Start Day/Time

4-20-2018 1:00 PM

End Day/Time

4-20-2018 3:00 PM

Students' Information

Amanda Mohagel Nursing, Taylor Stock Nursing, Jessica Torres Nursing all assisted with formation of brochure

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.

Prize Categories

Best Multidisciplinary Research or Collaboration, Most Scholarly Impact or Potential, Most Meaningful

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Apr 20th, 1:00 PM Apr 20th, 3:00 PM

Death and Dying: Deciding Between Hospice and Palliative Care

University Commons

Title: Death and Dying: Deciding Between Hospice and Palliative Care

Author: Kelly Castro

Purpose: Provide education on death and dying to family members as they navigate through this time specifically differentiating between hospice and palliative care.

Background: After spending several weeks on an oncology unit it was discovered that many patients and family members are ill informed about their options at end of life. They are often confused about the differences between hospice and palliative care. It is a difficult time for families and it is essential to provide all the necessary information to decide upon a plan of care. This issue lead to the formation of an educational brochure aiding family members in deciding between hospice and palliative care.

Methods and Results: The completed brochure providing education on hospice and palliative care as well as guidance for emotional support was distributed through the oncology unit. The patient and family’s baseline knowledge on these options was assessed first revealing little to no knowledge on the differences between hospice and palliative care and were often left with many unanswered questions. The brochure is a gate fold pamphlet with six sections filled with information and noted references. It is colorful, typed in a legible font, and includes pictures. After distribution, the patients provided positive feedback and stated the brochures gave them crucial information used to decide between hospice and palliative care for their loved one. The results of implementation were not only positive from the patients and families but from the staff as well who can utilize this tool to teach patients and answer questions.

Discussion: Hospice and palliative care are the two frequently chosen care options at the end of life. Patients and family members often lack the necessary information to decide which option works best for them. This leads to the need of more education which the created brochure provided. This brochure held significance among the oncology unit because it was a tool each and every patient at the end of life could benefit from. The patients and staff on the unit revealed the the brochure aided them in better understanding the two options which eased the stress of decision making at such difficult time. Along with the education the brochure also provided resources for emotional support for the family which is crucial during this time in order to make the best decision for the loved one.

Conclusion: This project identified a need in the community of nursing and established a way to aid both the nursing community and patient and families. The knowledge of end of life care and the emotional support is lacking in patients and families. The brochure created assists the nurses by providing an easy way to educate their patients and their families When the patients and the families receive this brochure and the knowledge that comes along with it they are able to make not only the most informed decision but this best decision for their future care.

 

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