Palliative and End-of-Life (EOL) Care in the Emergency Department Position Statement-Palliative and End-of-Life (EOL) Care in the Emergency Department Position Statement

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This document discusses the role of emergency nurses in providing palliative and end-of-life (EOL) care in the emergency department (ED). It highlights the challenges faced by emergency nurses in providing this type of care, including time constraints, lack of space and staffing, and a lack of formal education and resources. The document emphasizes the importance of early integration of palliative care and emphasizes that palliative care should not be reserved only for patients at the end-of-life stage but should be provided from the moment of diagnosis.<br /><br />The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) has taken a position on palliative and EOL care, stating that emergency nurses play an essential role in providing both life-sustaining treatment and palliative care. The ENA also supports the presence of family members during assessment, treatment, resuscitation, and EOL care and calls for emergency nurses to receive training and education on palliative and EOL care. The ENA also emphasizes the importance of ethical principles and the involvement of ethics committees in navigating ethically challenging situations.<br /><br />The document identifies the ED as a unique setting for identifying and addressing the needs of patients and their families in palliative and EOL care. It suggests the use of screening tools for early identification of patients who may benefit from this type of care. The document also emphasizes the need for pathways and protocols to facilitate the initiation of EOL and palliative care in the ED and encourages emergency nurses to advocate for this type of care for their patients and families.<br /><br />Overall, the document highlights the importance of emergency nurses in providing palliative and EOL care in the ED and provides recommendations for improving the provision of this care. It also emphasizes the need for education, training, and collaboration with other healthcare professionals to ensure quality care for patients and their families.

Meta Tag

palliative comfort measures

palliative terminally

palliative hospice

palliative DNR

palliative DNI

Keywords

emergency nurses

palliative care

end-of-life care

emergency department

challenges

early integration

training

education

screening tools

advocate