Had a great experience attending a conference through City of Hope that explored how to establish and develop an effective Palliative Care program. Dr. Ira Byock was there and gave a very inspirational speech. He identified that the medical model is inadequate when caring for the terminally ill and dying because the care must be personal. What a great way to explain the difference in care that must be provided, and personal includes not just the patient but their family and the care givers involved with care. The whole concept addresses the need for listening, compassion, empathy and the importance of personalizing care.

I sincerely believe nurses must step up in their role as patient advocates and function in a primary palliative care provider role which differs from the Primary Care Specialist. Nurses must become well trained and compassionate primary Palliative Care providers. We have our work cut out for us.

Had a great time at the Nursing Symposium at Azusa Pacific University. The attendees enjoyed my talk about the CARES Tool and I had some very lively discussions. I enjoy the enthusiasm of the students and I look forward to the opportunity to talk to them more. With each of my lectures I am reminded of the work that needs to be done to educate about compassionate care of the dying. I am  hoping to have an established organization pick up and promote the CARES Tool so it can be shared with even a broader audience. Wish me luck!

I am getting ready to do my first book signing at the yearly research symposium put on by Azusa Pacific University where I graduated with a DNP in 2013. They very kindly asked me to talk about the CARES Tool and share how it was developed and what is happening with it, all in 30 minutes. For me that will be a challenge. I look forward to seeing the faculty again, and I love being around the students with all of their energy. I am just trying to get organized and deciding what to emphasize during my talk. This is usually a lost cause as I just go off into some  tangent no matter how I plan.

I am making cover submissions to my publisher for my next book Resilient Hearts. I am really hoping it will help bring a better understanding of what goes on with a Palliative Care Team. I am proud of the results and can't wait for others to read it.

So my writing has slowed down and I am trying to adjust. I need to focus on keeping my web site current and doing some research for a possible third book. I hope any one reading this is doing well and I look forward to sharing more thoughts with you.

Take Care

NCCN Conference

Here in Hollywood Florida for the NCCN conference. I had a surprising number of participants stay to hear me give the last lecture of the day. I understand the general scheme of a conference is to go with new things and progress through out the day and end with dying, but just once I would like to be in the middle of a conference so people can stay focused. They won't be tired, or worried about traffic, and could absorb what I have to say.

I have to admit being the last lecture wasn't bad this time. The audience was very responsive and I got some nice comments after. I just wish I brought more CARES Tools and book marks. I hope they check out my web site. Time will tell.

Update 3/1/2015

I received copies of my reference book Compassionate Person-Centered Care of the Dying: An Evidence Based Palliative care Guide for Nurses. It provides additional information and insight into the CARES Tool from Springer Publishing. It is an amazing feeling to hold a years worth of work in your hands. I am very proud of the end result and am looking forward to using the book to help educate staff at City of Hope on care of the dying.

I completed my second book that is actually a novel called Resilient Hearts and signed a contract with Tate Publishing. Resilient Hearts follows a fictional Palliative Care team as they work with terminally ill and dying patients and their families. The novel also focuses on how the team members provide self-care through the central character of Michael Lafata, a doctorate prepared palliative care nurse practitioner.  The story line includes a patient who opts for palliative sedation, providing last wishes for a gentleman dying of heart failure, and arranging special closure activities for a five year old and a retired army officer. The story combines multiple actual events and demonstrates the importance of laughter, compassion, empathy, and understanding. The need for music and joy is explored and shared with the reader. (I don't want to give away everything) I am hoping Resilient Hearts will be available before Christmas.

I want to encourage any of my readers to ask questions about my postings or the CARES Tool. I want this blog to provide further understanding of the use of the CARES Tool and to encourage nurse advocacy and promote communication.

Take Care

Lots of activity. My Husband Allen has been busy getting my CARES website up and functional. I had laproscopic knee surgery and now know what 10 out of 10 pain feels like, and I finished my second book Resilient Hearts. I am learning all about working with publishers and literary agents. It all can get pretty overwhelming. I was also told my CARES Tool reference book is ahead of schedule and I should be getting my copies in about a week. This will time well with my EOL teaching plans at City of Hope. I am still most excited about my novel Resilient Hearts. I think it will be a helpful teaching tool and I can't get the idea of making it into a movie out of my head. Time will tell.

I am excited about this Blog. If anything it will be good therapy for me. I just hope I don't bore my readers. I am in the process of finishing a second book called Resilient Hearts. It is a story about a Palliative Care Team and what they encounter as part of their job, how they interact with patients, families, and each other; and how they are able to find the emotional energy to continue working with the dying and terminally ill.

My greatest hope is that it will one day be made into a movie. It would be a very helpful teaching tool because healthcare staff need to know that when you care for the dying you often get more out of it than you give, and it is one of the rare moments in life when you are in the presence of truly unselfish love.

I think some nurses shy away from caring for the dying because they have seen too many horror movies. Death should not occur in a dark room at the end of the hall. It should be bright, loving, and the tears should be mixed with laughter. The life of that dying individual should be celebrated.

There will never be a better time to make a difference in the lives of a family whose loved one is dying than when you show you value and respect their loved one, and it is often as easy a just placing a wash cloth on their forehead. I encourage any nurse to "Never underestimate the value of a wash cloth."

Well gotta work on my book.