A Day In The Life Of A Specialist Palliative Care Nurse
St Catherine's Hospice employs eight community specialist palliative care nurses and each links with GP practices across Chorley, Preston and South Ribble. The nurses work closely with GPs and district nurses to assist with the provision of palliative care to patients in their own homes.
Jenny Gallagher provides a snap shot of a day to illustrate the kind of work she does:
08:30: The day starts with office work, opening and responding to emails. I also have a message from the daughter of a patient I met last week, Mrs A. she's worried her mum's pain seems a little worse. I speak directly to Mrs A to assess her condition. Fortunately, we are able to agree a plan of action and I arrange to call again tomorrow.
08:55: I dictate several letters to GPs about patients I saw yesterday.
09:25: I use the patient electronic records system to find information on a newly referred patient, Mr B, whom I'm visiting this morning.
10:10: I arrive at the home of Mr B. He is in his early fifties and lives alone. He has a diagnosis of advanced lung cancer. we discuss the effects of his chemotherapy treatment and some other symptoms. we identify that he may have some difficulties managing at home and explore the services that may alleviate some of the problems.
11:05: I contact Mr B's district nurse and we discuss the kind of practical help he is likely to need over the next few months. She agrees to contact the social worker and occupational therapist who will help with the day-to-day practical issues.
11:30: I'm a little late for my next visit to Mrs C. I recall that her main problems are poor appetite and anxiety about her illness. Mrs C has many questions about her diagnosis and the results of her most recent CT scan which we discuss in detail.
13:00: I attend a meeting at a GP surgery where we discuss palliative care patients registered with the practice.
14:45: I visit Mrs D who is a single mum with three young children and we discuss ways in which she can help her children understand and cope with her illness. We also review her symptoms and I recommend some changes to her medication. Mrs D thinks her condition is deteriorating and wants to know what services are available to her. We explore her concerns and wishes and consider available options. I help her complete the documentation, known as Preferred Priorities of Care.
16:00: Arrive back at the Hospice and catch up on paperwork.
Posted: 24-01-2012 15:03:00
