The Pediatric Palliative APRN in the Acute Care Setting

Abstract

Abstract The role of the pediatric palliative advanced practice registered nurse (PP APRN) in the acute care or inpatient setting encompasses a wide breadth including providing initial consults, managing acute pain and distressing symptoms, assisting families with complex medical decision-making, providing longitudinal support across multiple admission, ensuring goals are communicated among specialty team members, and providing expert care at the end of life. The APRN needs to be aware of the barriers that still exist to providing good pediatric palliative care and how providing primary palliative care education to colleagues can help overcome these barriers. This chapter highlights some of the nuances of inpatient pediatric palliative care and evidenced-based symptom management by utilizing case examples.