Running head: A PALLIATIVE CARE EXPERIENCE

A Palliative Care Experience

Kathleen Minor
Western Washington University

A Palliative Care Experience

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A Palliative Care Experience

I was first presented with the chance to listen to Karla Hall discuss her work and
responsibilities with the palliative care team at St. Josephs midway through the quarter. My
work experience as a home health nursing assistant gave me an introduction to palliative care
and I was very interested to learn more about the nurses role. I was incredibly excited and
intrigued when presented with the opportunity to further my experience with Karla and the
palliative care team.
My first impression of the palliative care team was that of a compassionate and
empathetic group of individuals. I had the pleasure of working with Tessie, the chaplain of the
team as well as Angie, one of the palliative care providers. We sat together in the office and
discussed the three very different consults we were going to be meeting with that day. Not only
did we discuss their medical diagnosis and history but also any significant difficulties they were
having in their personal lives. In addition, we talked about whom they were before they became
so sick, what they did for a living, for fun, their family and friends, and what their current
support system was during such a vulnerable time. I was surprised and truly admired how the
team wanted to have a great understanding of each individual person and their specific situation
in order to provide the most holistic care possible before even leaving the office to meet with
the patient and their family.
All three of the consults were educational, but two of the three really stayed with me. The
first was a man in his early 50s with esophageal cancer that had metastasized to his lungs and
liver. His son, sister and nephew were all present. We learned that his 16 year old son was
homeless and had not been in school for a year due to racially motivated violence that he
apparently learned from his father, our patient. The patients sister, nephew, and his nephews
pregnant wife lived together in low income housing. Our main focus with that consult was who
would be responsible for his 16 year old son, since he would have no legal guardian once his

A Palliative Care Experience

father died. The family had little knowledge of the necessary paper work that goes along with
dying and dealing with estate, so we discussed power of attorney and POLST forms. Despite
their hardships, the family and the patient were comfortable discussing death and seemed to be
emotionally prepared.
Our last consult of the day was completely different. We spoke with the wife of a man in
his early 40s with Huntingtons who had been admitted due to pneumonia. He was intubated and
receiving a Propofol drip, so I was unable to directly communicate with him. We had learned that
although Huntingtons has a 50/50 chance of being passed down genetically, all 5 of his siblings
were diagnosed in addition to all of his mothers 6 siblings their family seemed to have a 100%
chance. Because of this, the patient and his wife saw chose to find a sperm donor to genetically
father their 5 year old daughter. Unlike the previous consult, this family seemed to come from a
higher socioeconomic status. His wife had all the necessary paperwork in order and was
completely and totally prepared on the legal side but completely distraught and unprepared
emotionally.
When relating this experience to social justice, the notion of treating everyone equally
stands out clearly. The team I worked with showed equal attention and support to each case and
each patient, no matter their socioeconomic status or political views. Although the patients and
families could be short tempered with the team, they remained neutral and supportive. I found
this independent learning experience to be informative and inspiring and I hope I have the
opportunity to work with the palliative care team at St. Josephs again.