Palliative Care as an approach improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering: World Health Organization
The two-day e-Seminar on “Strengthening Quality Palliative Patient Care Services” organized by Kalinga Institute of Nursing Sciences (KINS) concluded on 23rd February 2021. Speaking on the concluding day, Prof. Bidhu Kalyan Mahanti, M.D., Director, KIMS Cancer Center discussed challenging issues in palliative care nursing ranging from promoting quality of life, alleviating suffering to providing psychological and spiritual support for caring patients with life limiting illness.
Ms. Diani Sunita shed light on futuristic palliative nursing care and explained the meaning and 12 different areas of future palliative care in nursing to be explored. Ms. Sworna Prabha Samal, Tutor, KINS took the last session on nurses’ role in palliative care nursing. She stated that the core competencies like empathy, communication skills, physical and psychosocial skills, etc. are the prerequisites to understand the suffering, set goals and plan the care accordingly.
It is challenging to be a nurse, while it’s much more challenging to be a palliative care nurse, the speakers explained. This CNE provided the students and faculty of KINS the opportunity to be rejuvenated with the necessary knowledge to provide effective palliative care, to assist individuals in performing activities contributing to health or its recovery or peaceful death.
Earlier, Ms. Rashmi Ranjita Parhi, Tutor, KINS welcomed the speakers and participants. In all, 150 participants attended the seminar. The vote of thanks was proposed by Mrs. Soudamini Biswal, Tutor, KINS.