Palliative Care Nurse Specialist in the Emergency Department

Many patients have palliative needs that would be better served outside of the acute care setting, but once admitted to the hospital, it may be difficult to transition back to the community. The emergency department (ED) is often the entry point to admission and can be pivotal in patients' subsequent healthcare journey. In 2018, a pilot project was implemented in a Canadian, tertiary care, academic ED, where a palliative care nurse specialist was available for consultation to ED health care professionals and patients with goals to: a) reduce admissions from the ED for patients choosing to have a palliative approach to their care; b) increase coordination between the ED and community resources; and c) mentor, role model, and provide education of a palliative approach to care with the ED staff.

This presentation will describe the outcomes of this ongoing project, more than 5 years after its inception and discuss how the project has evolved and highlight lessons learned.

Katie has 19 years of nursing experience in oncology and palliative care. Her  passion for palliative care is driven by personal and professional experiences that make her believe in the importance and value of a palliative approach to care. She  completed my Master of Science in Nursing at the University of Ottawa in 2014 and is working towards obtaining her Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner diploma at the University of Ottawa.