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New Program Provides Residents with Palliative Care Training
April 1, 2008
Physicians in Good Samaritan Hospital’s internal medicine residency program now have the option of taking a rotation in palliative care. This elective rotation’s purpose is to help residents improve their skills in basic pain management, symptom management, patient and family communication, goals of care discussion and end-of-life care.
During the month-long rotation, future internists work with Manish Srivastava MD and Good Samaritan’s Palliative Care team to provide services that fit into patients’ treatment plans. These services not only address the patients’ physical needs, but also their psychological, social, cultural, emotional and spiritual ones.
“It is a much different experience for the residents,” says Sandi Webb RN, CHPN, Palliative Care Nurse Clinician. She notes that rotations traditionally are narrowly focused on the physical treatments of specific body parts or conditions to help residents choose their specialty. “In our rotation, we try to get them to view the bigger picture.”
According to Webb, this wider view is beneficial even if the residents do not pursue a career in palliative care. “It teaches them how to step back and ask themselves, ‘What does this treatment mean to the patients’ overall quality of life?’” she explains. “That’s something they can take with them no matter what specialty they choose."
For more information about residency programs at TriHealth, visit the TriHealth Medical Education Web site.
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