Palliative Perspective Podcast

Ep. 25 - All About Death Cafe

In this episode, we welcome Shari Alton, ADN RN, CHPN and Deb Bershad, BSN, RN, CHPN, to talk about Death Cafe in the Phoenix Chapter of HPNA. Deb and Shari speak on how Death Cafe encourages open discourse about death and dying for healthcare professionals and how to get involved.

 

About Shari:

Shari Alton is an ADN RN, CHPN with 45 years of experience in the nursing field. Shari started as a CNA in 1978, then became an LPN and graduated from RN school in 1983. Her background includes inpatient Med-Surg, Ortho, Post-Partum and Nursery, Chemical Dependency and Adult Psychiatry and Endoscopy. For the last 20 years, Shari has worked at Hospice of the Valley, in Phoenix, Arizona, as an RNCM in Home Hospice.

Currently, Shari is the President of the Phoenix Chapter of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association. She is passionate about Death Café and has benefitted tremendously from it.

About Deb:

Deb Bershad is a nurse with diverse experience. She has worked most nursing positions available in the acute care hospital setting. She spent 17 years in the acute care setting, until burnout took its toll.

She left the field and found her most rewarding and challenging work to date. For the next ten years, she worked as a teacher, facilitator, and Professional Development Coach. Personal tragedy prompted a 3-day retreat in which she re-clarified her goals and passion in life. This led to her return to nursing, where she found new pride, purpose, and meaning in her life as a nurse. Some of her most rewarding work has come in her latest role, as a Hospice nurse.  

Ep. 24 - The Evolution of Hospice Care

In this episode, we welcome Pat Berry, PhD, APRN, CNP, GNP-BC, FPCN, FAAN, to the show where she speaks on the evolution of hospice care, how she was involved in these advancements, and some of the most valuable lessons she has learned in hospice. 

 

About Pat:

Pat Berry, PhD, APRN, CNP, GNP-BC, FPCN, FAAN has 46 years of experience in Hospice and Palliative care including as a staff RN, quality improvement coordinator, Joint Commission hospice surveyor, educator, author, nurse practitioner, and researcher. Pat has been active in HPNA and HPNF and has witnessed a great deal of growth and change in our field, including the growth and acceptance of palliative care, nursing and team member certification, evidence-based practice, and educational programs focused on increasing the knowledge of students and professionals in both hospice and palliative care.

Ep. 23 - Fertility Planning with Palliative Patients

This episode of Palliative Perspective introduces Sari Williams, RN, FNP-C, a supportive care provider based in California. 

In this episode, Sari speaks on her experience as a supportive care provider delving into the intricacies of her profession, including what fertility planning looks like for a palliative patient. Sari describes what she finds to be most impactful about her occupation, as well as what keeps her motivated to continue in this important field. 

 

About Sari:

Sari Williams, RN, FNP-C started nursing in 2009 on a telemetry floor in a hospital in downtown Los Angeles. After a few years, she transferred to the ICU/trauma unit at that same hospital. Sari was accepted to the MSN program at Cal State Long Beach. At the same time, she was pregnant with her first daughter! Because of the Master's course curriculum, Sari started working at a different hospital, now part-time in their ICU. During her Master’s program for Family Nurse Practitioner, Sari had two daughters and went back to work as a bedside RN once school was done. In the ICU, Sari saw a lot of patient cases play out in different ways, but what stuck with her the most was the suffering at the end of life that could have been prevented with more attention on goals of care and end-of-life planning. Pursuing the palliative care field felt like the next right step in her nursing career. While Sari was looking for continuity with her patients initially with a focus on disease prevention, she realized through bedside practice that continuity can still exist while not focusing on prevention. What Sari loves about her job is helping patients find a new normal, to help them meet their goal of maintaining a level of function and engagement with life that they find meaningful.

 

Ep. 22 - Advocacy at HPNA

In this episode, we welcome Sarah Potter, Health Policy Specialist for the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association.

Sarah shares with us her experience working in public policy and how it translates into her current role. She explains how members can engage in federal public policy activities and why it is so important to share your stories and help advocate for hospice and palliative care.

About Sarah:
Sarah Potter serves as Health Policy Specialist at the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA). In this role, she works with HPNA’s advocacy and lobbying team to engage members on federal public policy issues that affect nursing and hospice and palliative care.

Prior to joining HPNA, Sarah worked on Capitol Hill as press secretary and legislative assistant for Representative Karen McCarthy and as deputy press secretary on the Senate Homeland Security Committee under Senator Joe Lieberman. She also developed advocacy campaigns for several national organizations based in Washington, D.C., including the Premier Healthcare Alliance, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and Independent Sector. Her policy expertise includes Medicare, Medicaid, children’s health, and the health care workforce.

Sarah is a graduate of the University of Missouri, where she earned dual degrees in political science and journalism.

Ep. 21 - A Day in the Life of a Certified Hospice and Palliative Care LPN

This episode of HPNA Podcast Corner welcomes guest Shelly Thomas to share with us A Day in the Life of a Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Licensed Practical Nurse.

In this episode, Shelly speaks to the importance of certification and the role hospice LPNs play in the care of person and their families living with serious illness. The podcast describes the certified hospice LPNs role, the part they play on the interprofessional hospice team and Shelly’s personal reason for becoming certified. Join us as we hear about a day in the life of a certified hospice LPN, and the integral role they play.  

About Shelly

Shelly has dedicated her career to hospice and palliative care. She began as a nursing assistant, then obtained her LPN, and worked for Hospice of the Westerns reserve in Cleveland, Ohio for 28 years. Shelly currently works for Westlake homecare team in the role of partners in practice. In addition, Shelly received the 2016 CHPLN of the year award and she became certified as an LPN in 2012.

 

Ep. 20 - A Day in the Life of a Nursing Assistant

This episode of HPNA Podcast Corner welcomes guest Mary Kenney to share with us insight into a day in the life of a certified hospice aid.  

 

Mary is a certified hospice and palliative care nurse aid who has cared for those with life-limiting illnesses for over 20 years.  

 

In this episode, Mary speaks to the importance of certification and the role hospice aides play in the care of person and their families living with serious illness. The podcast describes the certified hospice aide’s role, the part they play on the interprofessional hospice team and Mary’s personal reason for becoming certified. Join us as we hear about a day in the life of a certified hospice aide, and the integral role they play. 

 

About Mary 

Mary has been deeply moved and challenged in supporting her patients and their families to get the best possible care. In her pursuit to deepen her intention of service and mastery of skills at bedside she received training and certification as an end-of-life care practitioner with the Metta Institute. Her practice also includes the offering of therapeutic touch as a Reiki master. Mary served on the Exam Development Committee for the National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses (NBCHPN®) and was an advisor for the Role Delineation Study (RDS). She most recently collaborated as a subject matter expert for HPNA’s Nursing Assistant Core Curriculum. She currently resides in Denver, CO. 

Episode 19 - Palliative Nursing Acute to Post Acute Transitions in Care

 

Palliative Nursing Acute to Post Acute Transitions in Care: Challenges and Opportunities

This episode of HPNA Podcast Corner welcomes guest Jennifer Gentry, DNP, ANP-BC, ACHPN, FPCN. Dr. Gentry is a nurse practitioner with the Duke University Palliative Care Consult Service, faculty at the Duke University School of Nursing, and a member of the Duke Hospital Ethics Committee.

Prior to her current role, she provided medical care for older adults in acute, community, and skilled nursing settings. Dr. Gentry is a recipient of the HPNA Distinguished Nursing Practice Award, the Oncology Nursing Foundation End of Life Career Development Award, she was named one of North Carolina’s Great 100 Nurses, named 2012 Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse of the Year, and she received the Friends of Nursing Award for Nursing Mentorship. Dr. Gentry is an active member of HPNA. She served as president of the Board of Directors in 2014 and has served on multiple chapters and committees. Through her work with HPNA, the National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care, the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation, and the Alliance for Excellence in Hospice and Palliative Nursing, Dr. Gentry has been a tireless advocate for hospice and palliative nursing and advance nursing practice.  

This episode addresses the importance of transitions in care for patients with serious illnesses and their families, challenges encountered during transitions in care, at-risk patient populations, and how to best address the challenges encountered during care transitions.

Ep. 18 - Palliative Nursing Leadership: Advocacy in Action

 

Palliative Nursing Leadership: Advocacy in Action

This episode of HPNA Podcast Corner welcomes guests Clare Chmiel, Senior Government Affairs Analysts and Jessica Goggin, PhD, MAS, RN. Together, they shed light on the role of the nurse in palliative care advocacy, including leading the way in addressing support for advancing the care of patients and families with serious illness.

 

This episode addresses current legislation and advocacy at the national level and explores how palliative nurse leaders can impact efforts in D.C. In addition, our guests share the meaning of advocacy across institutional, local, and state levels as will as the importance of the role bioethics plays in advocating for our patients, families, colleagues, and ourselves. 

Ep. 17 - Reflections on the Importance of Certification

On this episode of HPNA Podcast Corner, we welcome Keisha Davidson, MBA, Credentialing Programs Associate with the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center. Keisha reflects on the value of certification and the importance of inspiring nurses in the field of hospice and palliative care through mentorship and supportive leadership.

 

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Ep. 16 - NINR and Addressing Health Inequities Across Communities in End-of-Life and Palliative Care Research

This episode of HPNA Podcast Corner welcomes guests Shannon N. Zenk, PhD, MS, MPH, RN, FAAN, director of the National Institute of Nursing Research and Jeri L. Miller, PhD, MS, MSc, CCC-SLP (ret), chief of End-of-Life and Palliative Care Research for the National Institute of Nursing Research Division of Extramural Science Programs. Dr. Zenk and Dr. Miller share with us insight into the NINR-supported end-of-life and palliative care research that is leading the way ​to address some of our most critical ​healthcare challenges of today. Our guests speak to the importance of ​nursing science and the role nurses have to address health inequities. The podcast describes how social determinants of health impact palliative and end-of-life care as well as the need for research that identifies effective, multi-level approaches to improve health and eliminate racial/ethnic and socioeconomic health disparities. Join us as we discover how NINR research is helping us move forward in end-of-life and palliative nursing to advance expert care in serious illness. 

 

If you enjoyed this podcast, please donate to the foundation:
https://advancingexpertcare.org/Donate

By accessing this podcast, you are acknowledging the following disclaimer:
https://advancingexpertcare.org/PodcastCornerDisclaimer

For more information about NINR and our guests today, please visit the resources found at:
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