Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2020
Editorial CommentValuing palliative care nursing and extending the reach.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2020
Self-management of patients with advanced cancer: A systematic review of experiences and attitudes.
Patients with advanced cancer are increasingly expected to self-manage. Thus far, this topic has received little systematic attention. ⋯ Self-management of patients with advanced cancer is highly personal and multifaceted. Strategies may be substitutional, additional or even conflicting compared to care provided by healthcare professionals. Self-management support can benefit from an individualised approach embedded in solid partnerships with relatives and healthcare professionals.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2020
"I'm going to push this door open. You can close it": A qualitative study of the brokering work of oncology clinic nurses in introducing early palliative care.
Early palliative care improves quality of life during life-prolonging treatment for patients with cancer, but the role of nurses in facilitating the early involvement of palliative care is unclear. ⋯ Oncology nurses play a central role in "brokering" the introduction of early palliative care; this process is supported by their relational proximity to patients and their location "in between" the patient and the oncologist. Training all nurses in palliative care and empowering them to have proactive discussions in a collaborative practice context would allow greater access to early palliative care.
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Palliative medicine · Feb 2020
Community knowledge of and attitudes to palliative care: A descriptive study.
Palliative care is predominantly accessed late in the course of an illness, despite evidence to suggest the benefits of early engagement. Strategies are required to reduce the barriers to the delivery of palliative care. ⋯ Gaps in knowledge about palliative care exist in community, which may limit citizen's potential access to quality care in the event of serious illness. These results point to a role for public education programmes, which may, in turn, also shift attitudes to palliative care.