Developing a staff nurse mini-grant research program.
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Clinical Nursing Research↗
Biomedical subjects
Colleen Counsell
Publications and source records attributed to Colleen Counsell.
Establishing an end-of-life program in an academic acute care hospital.
The primary goal of end-of-life (EOL) care is to relieve suffering through measures that improve comfort and address the psychological, social, and spiritual needs of the dying. This article discusses the components of a pilot project that focused on palliative EOL care at an academic acute care hospital. An interdisciplinary team of nurses, social workers, chaplains, patient care coordinators, and advanced practice nurses established a common vision for the care of patients who were "in the dying process," or were expected to die during their hospitalizations. A nurse-social worker "Care-Pair Team" completed a consistent interdisciplinary EOL care needs assessment when treatment goals became strictly palliative. Interventions were driven by a clinical pathway and a pre-printed physician's order set that continually clarified the goals of treatment. Key elements of the program included leadership support, advance directives, education, communication, family involvement, symptom management, professional collaboration, and outcomes measurement.
Critical Pathways↗
Exploring family needs during withdrawal of life support in critically ill patients.
Withdrawal of life support is a process where medical interventions are taken away from the patient with the expectation that the patient will die. This deliberate decision occurs when it is determined that medical options are exhausted and the prognosis is terminal. With this study, the primary family member of twenty adult patients who had undergone withdrawal of life support was contacted and interviewed by the research team 3-5 weeks after the patients' death. Interview questions related to their experience with the withdrawal of life support process. Specifically, whether or not the situation was anticipated, a description of the events surrounding withdrawal, events that made the process easier, and what they would like to see changed. This information was used to determine if and to what extent family needs are met and to determine if further interventions are required.
Advance Directives↗