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Sunday, November 1, 2009
Learning Objective 1: Discuss how the application of an interprofessional network can enhance the confidence of maternal child nursing staff to provide meaningful palliative care to families.
Learning Objective 2: Understand a system wide initiative for improvement in the resources for women, their palliative newborns, and the nurses
Palliative care in the maternity unit? How do we best support the mom who wants her palliative baby with her. What supports do the nurses need to give this kind of care professionally? A review of palliative care practices at BC Women’s Hospital has resulted in a system wide initiative for improvement in the resources for women, their palliative newborns, and the nurses. Building on the passion of our postpartum nurses to provide individualized care to families, we conducted an extensive literature search, which resulted in an updated policy for Palliative Care. We engaged the expertise of our local children’s hospice (Canuck Place) to create a collaborative model to improve the system of care for both the patients and staff. As a result, dedicated Canuck Place physicians provide expert back up to our pediatricians in the care of palliative babies. Collaboratively with the families and the Canuck Place CNS, we create a plan of care which reflects individual culture, beliefs and values. This process provides the family with control and decision making power for their infant. We have initiated other supports such as reference pocket cards and a telephone support service for the nurses when they have questions or concerns in the provision of palliative care. This support is reciprocal as the Canuck Place nurses telephone when they have specific concerns providing care to recently delivered moms whose babies are in the final stages of palliative care. The interprofessional network has enhanced the confidence of our staff to provide meaningful palliative care to families.