Journal of palliative medicine
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To use reflective writing to evaluate a new required palliative care experience for third year medical students. ⋯ Systematic analysis of reflective writing provides educators with valuable data about students' learning experiences. These results may inform the design and modification of the curriculum.
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Meticulous assessment, monitoring, and treatment of symptoms are key components of palliative care. The Symptom Assessment Scale (SAS) is a 0-10 numerical rating scale (NRS) used for self-report of sleep, appetite, nausea, bowels, breathing, fatigue, and pain. Ideally, symptom rating should be by self-report; however, the ratings are often completed by nurses. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between simultaneous symptom ratings of patients and nurses in an Australian inpatient palliative care unit. ⋯ Proxy symptom assessment only modestly correlates with patient symptom rating, can significantly misrepresent the patient's actual symptom burden, and should only be used when the patient is absolutely unable to contribute his or her own view.
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Volunteers are essential to the functioning of palliative care programs and serve as important members of the hospice team. They devote much time, effort, and diverse skills and talent to enhance the quality of care at Roger's House--a pediatric palliative care hospice. ⋯ Volunteers at Roger's House are generally satisfied with their volunteer position and the environment in which they work. Greater insight into volunteer satisfaction and factors that bring feelings of reward and/or dissatisfaction to the volunteers have allowed Roger's House to identify informed and effective interventions to improve the quality of and satisfaction with the hospice volunteer program.