There are clear physical and emotional health consequences for nurses who provide hospice and palliative care over extended periods of time. Further research is needed into the extent of the problem, specific causes, and coping strategies.

No abstract

For the community health clinical nurse specialist, the client is the community. Clinical nurse specialist practice in this community resulted in improved oral health for high-risk school-age children. This program can be adapted for other communities.

The article explains an approach to building interprofessional education (IPE) and interprofessional practice opportunities as well as content in palliative/hospice care within undergraduate and graduate curricula for six health disciplines, including speech-language pathology. Graduate students from nursing, medicine, communication sciences, and disorders, physical therapy, social work and nutrition, as well as undergraduate nursing students participated in one of four IPE training sessions using six videotaped simulation scenes portraying the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Learning objectives included (1) engaging in effective interprofessional communication and teamwork, (2) discussing therapeutic patient/family communication, (3) employing supportive holistic care with patients and families at end of life, and (4) relating the patient's physiological assessment findings to the dying process. Students discussed the role of the interprofessional team in end-of-life care and were coached on ways to apply interprofessional communication, a key interprofessional education competency, using patient- and family-centered care principles. Results revealed strong positive agreement among the disciplines regarding the value of the learning opportunities provided during this IPE simulation activity.

The purpose of this article was to differentiate between suffering and chronic sorrow. A literature review provided the information necessary to define these two concepts. Definition of the concepts provides a better understanding of the world of suffering persons and those who suffer from chronic sorrow. By understanding this world, healthcare providers are better able to intervene with caring interventions. Nurses spend more time at the bedside, in the clinic, or in the home than any other healthcare providers; thus, we believe that we can offer the caring that heals and is the heart of nursing practice. The goal of this article is to develop a framework for understanding chronic sorrow and suffering. A paradigm for nursing interventions will be introduced