Death Doulas Get a Boost from Chris “Thor” Hemsworth

End-of-life (or “death”) doulas recently got a boost in the media when practitioner Alua Arthur appeared on the National Geographic TV series “Limitless with Chris Hemsworth.” The show is designed for Hemsworth, an Australian actor who plays Thor in the Marvel Movie Universe, to learn from experts on how to maximize his health and longevity.

Dr. Robinson’s Pre-Conference Workshop and the Four “Core Spheres” of Nursing

When she was studying to become a nurse, Katie Robinson, PhD, RN-BC, CHPN, didn’t know what kind of nursing she wanted to practice. “I went through all the iterations, starting with labor and delivery and pediatrics,” said Dr. Robinson, now assistant professor of nursing at California State University San Marcos, and one of the co-presenters for a pre-conference workshop at the Institute’s 2023 National Symposium for Academic Palliative Care Education and Research, March 1 at the Long Beach, Calif., Hilton Hotel.

Dr. Robinson-Lane Will Speak to Community Building

As America’s health care system confronts its history of inequity and bias at all levels, the Shiley Haynes Institute’s upcoming Annual Symposium will offer attendees an opportunity to explore these issues for hospice and palliative care professionals in the context of community and community building.

Dr. Erikson’s Pre-Conference Workshop for 2023 Symposium will Explore AACN’s Core Spheres

One of the pre-conference workshops at the Shiley Haynes Institute’s upcoming 2023 national symposium will highlight an enhanced role for palliative care, as signaled in the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)’s latest updating of its “Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education.” Released in April of 2021, it identifies four “core” spheres of care that may still be unfamiliar to some nursing educators.

Caregiving Burdens, Policy to be Highlighted at Institute’s March Symposium

Personal caregiving, which covers a broad spectrum from childcare to providing for the health care needs of a parent, spouse, sibling or other loved one, can have huge implications and huge consequences for the caregiver.

Interprofessional Education and Practice to be Highlighted in Plenary at Institute’s 2023 Symposium

The advancement of interprofessional education and practice are rapidly evolving trends across the health care system but particularly relevant for the field of palliative care. “I would say that palliative care itself is inherently interprofessional. You can’t practice palliative care without working closely across different professions,” said Veronica Young, PharmD, MPH, FNAP, founding director of The University of Texas at Austin Center for Health Interprofessional Practice and Education.

Burnout’s Institutional Challenge: Dr. Maslach to Address Institute’s 2023 Symposium

For UC Berkeley psychology professor emerita Christina Maslach, PhD, creator of the widely used Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) psychological research tool, much of the current focus on the burnout epidemic in the health professions tends to point the finger at the individuals and what they need to do in order to become more resilient in their jobs. Instead, she says, we should look at the systems and job settings—the occupational phenomena that are creating widespread, chronic job stress.

Where Is Palliative Care Now in the “Post-COVID” Landscape?

In the early days of the COVID pandemic, some palliative care and hospice programs found themselves pushed to the sidelines of the national crisis response. Patients “crashed” fast; doors closed to all-but essential facility staff; some patients put off seeking care for preexisting serious conditions and thus failed to get connected with hospice and palliative care.

Can Palliative Care Be Provided Entirely From Afar?

Palliative care is a humanistic, patient-centric form of healthcare that includes medical, emotional, and other supportive services for people who are confronting the impacts of a serious illness in many areas of their lives. Some have even called it “hand-holding,” although it involves much more than that.

Medical Cannabis Course Offers Information for Palliative Care Clinicians

As interest and use of cannabis-derived products for treating symptoms of illness grow across the country, hospice and palliative care practitioners are increasingly looking to understand how these products fit into the palliative approach for treating symptoms of serious illness.

New “Essentials” of Nursing Education Create Opening for Palliative Care

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing has just taken a major step toward ensuring that clinical competencies in primary palliative care and end-of-life care are incorporated into nursing teaching curriculums. Learn more.

Addressing Spiritual Pain Challenges Palliative Clinicians

Efforts to support patients’ spiritual needs can sometimes be overlooked given more immediate symptom management demands. While most clinical education programs don't incorporate spiritual care, all clinicians need awareness of spiritual pain as a vital component of end-of-life care.