by Rebecca Gagne-Henderson PhD, APRN, ACHPN Tonight, I hold vigil over my mother-in-law’s near dead body. My husband has gone home to CT clear across the continent to return to work. His baby brother has returned to his job at LinkedIn. So, why am I here in Los Angeles? I am here to make sure … Continue reading Every Picture Tells a Story, Don’t It?
by Rebecca Gagne-Henderson PhD, APRN, ACHPN Who is your customer? Your company, a hospital you work for, the consulting physician? Another way to ask this is: Where does your allegiance lie? Palliative care has changed. When I started, it was a wild and woolly new frontier. You had to put your holster on your hip … Continue reading Getting the Boot!
By Rebecca Gagne-Henderson PhD APRN ACHPN Over the years of caring for dying patients, it bothers me when I can remember a patient’s face in my mind’s eye but cannot recall their name. I have a physician friend who, since the beginning of his practice of 40 years has a series of notebooks where he has … Continue reading The Story of Louie and Tony: an unexpected miracle
By Juan Esteban Correa-Morales, Palliative Care Resident, National Institute of Cancer, La Sabana University Colombia and Natalia Salamanca-Balen MD, Laboratory for Psycho-oncology Research, University of Notre Dame The one wish every healthcare worker has for patients is that they cope with the reality of their prognosis and adhere to the best possible treatment. The legitimacy … Continue reading The Thin Line Between Hope and Faith in Oncology
by Rebecca Gagne Henderson PhD APRN ACHPN The Original Schism In 1054 AD a Roman Catholic Cardinal was sent to the Metropolitan of the Eastern Orthodox Church and excommunicated the entire Eastern church. The Eastern Bishop declared anathema on the Roman Catholic church. Oh, the Irony amongst these fine men who carried the mantle of the original … Continue reading The Great Divide: The Schism Between Palliative Medicine and Palliative Care
by Rebecca Gagne-Henderson PhD APRN ACHPN What is the Death Rattle? In the early 2000’s I noted many hospice physicians began to refer to the death rattle as hypersecretions. The secretions may at some point become copious, but the term “hypersecretions” indicates a disorder which produces an excessive amount of secretions. In addition to hypersecretions, … Continue reading The Death Rattle: A natural sign of impending death
A Brief History of Birth and Death in the West – Midwifery and Death Doulas By Delta Waters RN (Guest Blogger) Delta Waters RN spent her entire 20-year career focusing on geriatric and hospice specialties. Providing care and comfort for Elders continues to be her joyous vocation. She did elect to take a course in … Continue reading A Problem with Death Doula Training
by Rebecca Gagne-Henderson PhD, APRN, ACHPN I must admit, until recently, I have found that the word resilience had become a bastardized cliché. Resilience is a characteristic of those who thrive and find value and meaning in their lives in spite of horrendous circumstances 1,2. The concept was once reserved for those who have been through traumas, such … Continue reading Wineskins in the Smoke and Resilience
By Rebecca Gagne-Henderson PhD, APRN, ACHPN, FNP Wherever we call home, most of us long to be there. No matter the condition of the floors, or the quality of the curtains–perhaps no curtains, that is the place we want to be at the end of the day. But what about at the end of our lives? … Continue reading There is No Place Like Home…to die.
By Leah D. Ward, MSN, MA, A-GNP-C, ACHPN This week we are sharing a post that addresses a controversial topic in a provocative manner. What are the odds? Thank you to Leah Ward, a nurse practitioner who is an emerging thought leader. She currently works in community palliative care while studying for her PhD and … Continue reading The Ethical Perils of Immunotherapy: Medical Care or Extortion?
