By Joy Doram
My 40-year nursing career is made up of many experiences—acute care bedside nursing, community care in the home, pre-op surgical educator, transition nurse, as well as geriatric consultant. All of these have prepared me for my most rewarding and challenging role as a palliative nurse consultant.
In this role I care for the patient’s symptoms, emotions, and spiritual well-being. I also support family members who are caregivers.
One of my patients was a young mother from the Philippines. She was working to support her family to come to Canada, including her 3 teenage children so they could have a better education. Her spouse was suffering from Parkinson’s and couldn’t work. When this woman was diagnosed with a very advanced cancer and was no longer able to work, the care team and I tried tirelessly to get her back to the Philippines to be with her family and receive hospice care before she died. But we faced many challenges (there is no universal health care in the Philippines), and by the time the arrangements were finalized, she wasn’t well enough to fly. But this young mother was so grateful for our efforts. She died in the Palliative Care Unit, with her brother by her side.
Some people ask me if my job as a palliative nurse consultant is depressing because of all the sadness and grief. But for me, it’s an honour to walk with and support patients and their families through the unknowns of serious illness. It’s an honour to be with them and help them, and give my compassion, respect, and understanding as they get closer to death.
