You have completed the interprofessional palliative care module. Thank you!
Your Reflections
Module Completion
Question 1: Considering the intake information you have so far, from the point of view of your profession, list 3-5 issues you would want to address in the evaluation and care of this patient
Your Reflection : Better control her symptoms, especially her pain, dehydration, constipation, and fatigue, to improve her comfort and quality of life.
Discuss her understanding of her illness, prognosis, and goals of care to make sure the treatment plan aligns with what is most important to her.
Explore how her faith and spirituality influence her coping and medical decisions, and ask if she would like support from a chaplain.
Question 2: What are the spiritual and cultural challenges that arise in this case? From your professional perspective, how would you take these into account when caring for Mrs. Green and her family?
Your Reflection : Mrs. Green's faith is clearly an important source of strength, but she is also struggling to balance her own wishes with her daughter's hope for a miracle. As a medical student, I would listen to and respect their beliefs while ensuring Mrs. Green's goals and values remain central to her care, and I would involve social work and chaplaincy to help support the patient and her family through these difficult conversations.
Question 3: What was accomplished by having an interprofessional family meeting that may not have been achieved otherwise?
Your Reflection : I think the family meeting helped everyone get on the same page by giving Mrs. Green and her loved- ones the opportunity to openly talk about her prognosis, goals, and concerns. Having members of the interprofessional team there meant they could address not only the medical aspects of her care, but also the emotional and spiritual concerns, which helped support both Mrs. Green and her family in making decisions together.
Question 4: What input from each team member did you notice to be beneficial in the care of this patient?
Your Reflection : The physicians focused on symptom management and discussing her prognosis and goals of care, the nurses helped keep her comfortable and prepared the family for the dying process, the social worker supported the family and coordinated hospice care, and the chaplain helped address Mrs. Green's spiritual concerns. Seeing everyone work together showed me how important an interprofessional approach is to providing compassionate, patient-centered care.