The Free Dictionary defines the expression Walking a tightrope as followed: “To do something that requires extreme care and precision; to navigate a situation that allows
very little or no error.”
In many ways, this is what it feels like prior to entering into a new Palliative Care
consultation. There are a lot of special things to keep in mind: 1) Sit with the patient and
make sure to do more listening than talking. 2) Provide important information, but only if
the patient gives us permission to provide the sensitive information. 3) Make sure you
capture what matters most to the patient and use that as a guide to help navigate them
through their journey. 4) Make sure you’re supportive to the family members too; they’re
also in need of guidance. 5) Be in tune with the specialists regarding prognosis, so that
their thoughts and recommendations are reflected and communicated. 6) Don’t push for
Hospice prematurely, as this can very quickly alienate you from the patient and family.
7) Identify symptoms to palliate, so that you can help the patient maintain some quality
of life.
These are just a few things that we juggle as Palliative Care Community Specialists. Yet
with the proper practice and skill development, these consults do come together in a
very magical way. It’s the ability to see “the big picture” of medical illness, and life in
general. It’s the gift that we give patients; to see them as more than just their disease,
but as a grandparent, someone who loves to go fishing, a dancer, a professor, a
scientist.
And when you have completed the Palliative Care consult, and have managed to
capture the essence of the patient, while coming up with a plan for pain control, and
you’re able to set some realistic goals, and you have been able to reframe hope, thus
giving the patient a little control over their destiny, I would say that you’ve accomplished
your task. And in many ways, I always feel that Palliative Care is an Art. While it often
feels like I’m walking a tightrope, I ultimately feel that I’ve made this extraordinary connection with another human being; and that is an experience that’s extremely fulfilling.
Want to know more about our Palliative Care Education programs? Click below:
Interprofessional Palliative Care Certificate
MS-Palliative Care
Community Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship
