Palliative Care Reflective Essay

The assignment is a reflective essay on palliative care, highlighting its complexity as a task. It emphasizes the need for medical staff to adopt a holistic approach to provide effective care to patients with severe illnesses and support their families. The essay concludes by emphasizing the importance of proper communication, coordination among healthcare professionals, and consideration of patients' values and beliefs in palliative care.

Palliative- Reflective essay

TABLE OF Contents
Main body..................................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Palliative care is recognized as special types of medical care provided by servicers
provider to people suffering from serious or harmful disease. The purpose of delivering palliative
care is to provide patient relief from pain as stress which may occur due to symptoms serious
illness. Other objective of providing special care is to support patient in improving their health as
well as quality of life. Palliative care is provided by the medical professionals or other trained
medical staff. Special team of medical professionals those who renders special type of care
support patient with serious illness in performing all the routine activities.
The purpose of the project is to identify the best technique or method for providing best holistic
end life care to patient by managing own beliefs as well as values. It also emphasizes on
analyzing the way personal values and beliefs effect an individual interaction with patient.
Main body
I am working in health care institution which provide treatment as well as special care to people
those who are suffering from serious diseases. I will be sharing my experience with a patient
who has been admitted in hospital for treatment of cancer. I have analyzed by considering the
physical situation of patient that he requires special care and treatment in order to improve health
and maintain quality of their life. It was found during the treatment that particular patient is
suffering from last stage of cancer (Iyer and Bakitas, 2017) I also observed that patient’s family
were supporting him in performing routine activities. During my first interaction with patient, I
have asked him about his concern in order to identify the best possible treatment and care which
I could provide patient. I have analyzed by communicating with cancer patient that he main
concern was pain. This activity has allowed me to provide several alternative options for helping
patient in order to get relief from pain.
Feelings
After seeing the physical condition of patient, I have felt concerned about the pain and his health.
When I first get to know about the diagnosis I was must interested in developing the
understanding and gain knowledge about cancer patient as well as their condition. When I had
interaction with patient and his family, I felt more sympathetic towards them. During interaction,
cancer patient has stated that when he suffers pain, he feels giving up and ending his life. I think
that the reason of ending of life is pain which patient has to suffer due to serious illness. After

seeing such condition of cancer patient, I have planned to discuss the problem suffered by patient
with other medical staff. As this activity will help me in identifying the best possible solution to
support patient in getting relief from pain (Segal, Care and Bogetz, 2018)
Evaluation
During my experience as a nurse in a health and social care institution I have realized that
communication is the important factor which helps medical staff in building as well as maintain
strong relationship with patients as well as their family members. Effective communication
allows medical staff to develop the understanding about the problem faced by patients and
enables medical professionals to deliver effective care (Davis, Snider, and Irvin, 2018)
Analyses
As per the world health organization, Palliative care is a significant approach which assist a
patient in improving their health and enhancing quality of their life. I have analyzed that due to
life threatening disease not only patients but their family member has to face major problems. I
have also realized that an individual those who are suffering from deadly or harmful diseases
requires special care, quick as well as effective treatment and high level of commitment from
medical staff. Palliative care is considered to be as complex activity which involves holistic
approach, that assist in coordinating with expert medical professional team and making quick
decision related to treatment of patient. Some of the symptoms of cancers are vomiting, nausea
etc. (Stein, Pincus, and Hilliard, 2018)
`I believe that the main consideration of health and social care institutions to manage emotions. I
have also experienced that decisions are affected by beliefs of service provider, patient and also
family members. I have also analyzed that in any country the way in which palliative care is
delivered is based on the religion or cultural. I had also identified that people those who suffers
from serious illness offers undergo through emotional trauma such as depression, high level of
stress or anxiety. I perceive that, it is required by me or other medical staff to develop the
understanding about spiritual or religious beliefs. As lack of knowledge can lead to mistakes
which might increase the stress level of patient. Medical staff or care provider require to get
aware about the rituals an individual might have during palliative care or after
death(Koliouli,Casper, Berdot-Talmier and Gaudron, 2017) I believe that as a nurse or service
provider I need to provide safe and respectful environment to patients and their family members.
I perceive that spiritual care is more significant for the person those who suffers from serious
illness. I and other medical staff should be taking initiatives to cater the need of patients and
maintaining peaceful environment. Person suffering from serious disease for such people their
spiritual need is more necessary. By managing the values, beliefs. I have identified that being a
nurse, I can assist palliative patients and support their family members by providing more
comfortable as well as ease by delivering quality service and care. I have also analyzed that there
is certain factor which are required to be considered when providing services or care to palliative
patients these are involving patient family member in providing treatment or care to individual
suffering from serious illness. Another factor is type of food provided to patient, environment in

hospital etc. It is required by medical staff communicate effectively with family members as well
as patient. As this activity will support medical team in gathering essential information as well as
identifying the medical history of patient. It will help medical professional in determining the
appropriate treatment which is to be provided to patient. Effective communication as well as
coordination between medical staff will also aid institution in eliminating medical errors. I
perceive that it is required by medical staff to communicate politely with patient. If in some
cases, medical staff fails to provide deal about patient health or treatment details due to
communication barriers, then in such situation , medical professional take support from
translators. I have also realized by working in health and social care institution that values or
belief that is posses by patient are very much essential in context of Palliative care.Some of the
belief or values may include importance of family, amount of information patient or their family
members does not want to disclose to other people, attitudes towards pain management
procedure etc.( Etkind, Bone and Murtagh, 2017
)
CONCLUSION
It has been concluded from assignment that delivering Palliative care is complex activity as well
as difficult task. Report also concluded that medical staff requires to adopt holistic approach. As
this will assist medical professional in delivering quality as well as effective care to patient and
support to their family members. It is needed by medical staff to executes their practices asper
the guidelines and make suitable decision related to providing care or treatment to patient with
serious illness. Project has also concluded that effective communication is important factor in
health and social care setting.

REFERENCES
Books and Journal:
Koliouli, F., Casper, C., Berdot-Talmier, L. and Gaudron, C.Z., 2017. Neonatal palliative care:
Review of available literature. Revue internationale de soins palliatifs .32(2) .pp.53-60.
Davis, C.S., Snider, M.J., and Irvin, L., 2018. A Time to Live and a Time to Die: Heterotopian
Spatialities and Temporalities in a Pediatric Palliative Care Team. Health communication. pp.1-
11.
Segal, S., Care, P.P., and Bogetz, J., 2018. A Pediatric Palliative Care Program to Meet the
Needs of Children with Severe Neurological Impairment and Their Families.
Iyer, A.S. and Bakitas, M., 2017. Early Palliative Care in Advanced Illness: Do Right by
Mama. JAMA internal medicine.177(6). pp.761-762.
Stein, G.L., V., Pincus, H.A., Remke, S.S. and Hilliard, R., 2018. Providing Palliative Care to
Patients and Families Leff with Pre-Existing Mental Health and Substance Use Issues
(P07). Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 55(2). pp.550-551.
Etkind, S.N., Bone, A.E., and Murtagh, F.E.M., 2017. How many people will need palliative care
in 2040? Past trends, future projections and implications for services. BMC medicine. 15(1).p
p.102.