The path to dealing with palliative care was different for each of us. The doctor took on this specialisation after many years of experience as a family medicine doctor, and Mrs Monika decided on it after studying nursing. Our experience and knowledge of palliative care allowed us to give lectures both to share our experience with others and to provide guidance for those who want to support hospice work or become hospice professionals. We would like to emphasise how important palliative care is for patients receiving such care, and our lectures are an attempt to encourage the dissemination of this knowledge and exploration of the field.
Getting involved in palliative care started for us by accident, but it turned out that we had a predisposition for the profession. After graduating from nursing school, we knew that our interests were focused on the problems of adult patients, and our first job in a nursing facility enabled us not only to gain experience, but also to see first-hand the importance of caring for sick, old and dying people with various deficits and problems. Thanks to the support of our first president, Eleonora Krawczyk, we started working on a trial basis in 1999 and became part of the team from 2000, with breaks for motherhood and working full-time in the palliative unit at St. Camillus Hospital. This is something we are proud of and we are happy to be able to help patients at difficult times in their lives.
My adventure in palliative care began when Rev Jan Frycz asked if I would like to come to the founding meeting of the hospice, as he knew I was studying medicine. At the time I had very limited knowledge of palliative care, but I agreed. At that first meeting I met Dr Zbigniew Wodcki, Mrs Ilona Kopcinska and Eleonora Graczyk, who later became our president for many years. I started attending meetings as a volunteer and then more and more medically. After graduating, I became a doctor and continued as a volunteer, but gradually my interests began to focus on palliative care. After completing my specialisation in internal medicine, I considered what to do next and, thanks to the urging of Dr Piskorski, I decided to specialise in palliative care. I am happy to be able to help patients at difficult times in their lives.
Professionalism in palliative care means not only having the knowledge, but also the experience and skills of the profession. However, it is important not to become too professionalised, which could lead to a loss of empathy and closeness to the patient. At the beginning of my work in palliative care, I was surprised because I thought that this speciality was dealing with something new and unfamiliar. However, it turned out that everything we do in palliative care can be successfully applied to other areas of medicine. The key is to approach the patient and care for their welfare.
It would certainly be useful to provide medical students with exposure to palliative care already during their studies. Currently, students have classes in this field and do placements in hospices, which allows them to gain experience and understanding of the profession. Just seeing patients in a hospice can give them a lot to think about and make them aware of the importance of palliative care.
Palliative care is the only medical speciality where there is a fine line between professionalism and a humanistic attitude towards the patient. In this speciality, it is necessary to combine professionalism in the use of innovative therapies, such as pain management, with an open and empathetic attitude towards the patient. This combination is difficult to find in other areas of medicine.
There is not one specific set of predispositions for dealing with palliative care patients. Everyone is different and may have different qualities and skills that make them suitable for this profession. Palliative care professionals should have empathy and sensitivity to the suffering of others, be able to listen to and support patients and their families, and be ready for difficult emotional situations. It is also important to have medical knowledge and skills related to
Palliative care requires a palliative care practitioner to have empathy and a desire to help others, but also continuous development and training. In this speciality, it is necessary to have a broad medical knowledge and skills related to the care of patients in difficult situations. Palliative care nurses and physicians should be ready for different challenges and be open to continuous development of their skills.
Before you decide to work in palliative care, it is worth considering whether you have the right qualities that will enable you to help palliative care patients effectively. First and foremost, it is important to have empathy, a willingness to help and a sense of humour, which will allow you to maintain your emotional balance and not fall into professional burnout. Another important trait is a constant willingness to learn and develop, as the demands in this field are getting higher and higher, and continuous upgrading of skills is crucial for effective patient care. Last, but not least, the ability to separate work and private life in order to be able to fulfil one's duties effectively, but also to take care of one's own needs.
Palliative care is a branch of medicine that cares for patients with chronic or life-threatening diseases. The aim of palliative care is to provide patients with the best possible quality of life during their last days, weeks or months. In order to care for palliative care patients, certain predispositions are required, such as empathy, a willingness to help, resistance to stress, a desire for continuous development and a sense of humour. Palliative care also requires a long-term approach and good physical condition, as the work is round-the-clock and requires many visits to the patient.
Palliative care is a branch of medicine that deals with providing comfort and dignity to patients in the last stages of their illness. It requires a range of skills and qualities from medical staff, such as empathy, a desire to help, a long-distance approach, a sense of humour and good physical condition. Working in palliative care is demanding, so it is important to find a springboard to balance emotions and deal effectively with the difficulties of the profession.
Palliative care is the field of medicine in which we care for patients receiving palliative care. It is a field in which you need to have many qualities in order to do it successfully. First and foremost, you need to have empathy and a desire to help, and not get tired of the other person. You need to have a sense of humour to cope with difficulties and emotional strain. Physical fitness is also important, as palliative care is round-the-clock and often requires travel to the patient.
It is also important to take care of yourself to avoid professional burnout. Everyone should have their own springboard, something to relax and take their emotions out. The family also plays an important role, as they are often involved in the care of the patient.
In summary, palliative care requires many qualities and commitment.
Palliative care is a demanding and emotionally difficult medical field, in which doctors and nurses have to balance professionalism with a humanistic attitude towards the patient. In order to care for palliative care patients, an empathetic predisposition, a willingness to help and continuing education in the field are essential. It is also important to prevent professional burnout and to have some sort of springboard, such as a hobby or religious faith. This will help you to cope better with the difficulties that palliative care brings.
The media have already done a great deal to promote hospices and their work. It used to be that you had to explain to everyone individually what the hospice does. Today it is definitely different. We are close to families, patients and our surroundings, who can get information about hospices themselves. Thanks to the activities of the media and journalists we can constantly promote the activities of hospices. Therefore, actions like this are a good example of how important it is to keep talking about it. New generations may not be aware of the existence of hospices, and the experience of Western countries shows that this ignorance often leads to euthanasia or other solutions that doctors consider to be wrong.
As for cancer, I think it is still a taboo subject. Maybe it's too big a word, but it certainly has a negative connotation. Therefore, it is important that we as a society start to talk openly about cancer and how hospices can help people with the disease and their families.
Patients who come to hospital after a stroke or with coronary artery disease are often unaware of the seriousness of their illness. Paradoxically, cancer is still seen as the most dangerous disease and comes first in our consciousness. Patients' families sometimes ask us to keep quiet about the disease, which of course we respect. However, the question of how much the patients themselves are aware of their disease remains open. On the other hand, patients are well aware that they are in hospital, but do not ask for details. This shows that, although they do not express it verbally, they are aware of the seriousness of their illness.
As a team caring for patients, we often emphasise the importance of being fully empathetic towards patients. The patient's family can also be an important part of this team. The patient's relatives are often an integral part of the patient's care and can be a support to the team caring for the patient. It is important that the family is included in the patient care process and supported during this difficult time.
As you can see, Monika is already at this stage, which is very beneficial for our teamwork. Monica is in this circle because we are a team that communicates with each other. This way, if any of us receives important information, we try to pass it on to the rest of the team.
This is a very difficult experience for those who are involved in caring for patients without a health policy. For these people, it is a great burden, as patients often treat them as loved ones and expect them to support them. For carers, it is an additional burden as they feel they have to meet the expectations of patients who no longer have other people to turn to for help.