Increasing Access to Pediatric Palliative Care in a Large Hospital System: Trials and Triumphs From an APRN Initiative.

Abstract

According to the Pediatric Palliative Care Task Force formed in 2020 and hosted by the National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care, children with serious illness should have access to palliative care that meets the population's unique needs. A large children's hospital had expanded to include 2 satellite campuses within a 6-year timeframe. With the expansions and the complex patient population cared for, palliative care expertise was needed at the satellite campuses, both inpatient and outpatient. This was an exciting and daunting task for a pediatric nurse practitioner. Taking care to assess needs, communicate with leadership teams, develop rapport with key stakeholders, and utilize the support staff already in place allowed for successful implementation of pediatric palliative care services at 2 satellite campuses over a 5-year span. Services included inpatient and outpatient patient care; ongoing family bereavement support; compiling staff resources and providing ongoing staff training in primary pediatric palliative care skills. Each satellite campus now has dedicated pediatric palliative care providers. This article outlines how the satellite palliative care programs were developed, the challenges and successes in the process, and the role of the APRN in program development.