Palliative Care in Emergency Medicine. What Are We Missing?

Abstract

Patients present to the emergency department with critical and complex medical conditions that require a broad scope of medicine to achieve patient outcomes. Emergency medicine physicians are recognizing the importance and positive outcomes that arise when palliative care teams are consulted in the emergency room. Today, medical schools, residency programs, and emergency departments are requiring palliative care curriculum apart of their education. However, there continues to be a gap in early initiation of palliative care in emergency medicine. Nurse practitioners are becoming pivotal in the emergency department, and patients are considering them key providers in their medical journey. The role of an advanced practice nurse in an emergency room may be optimal for the early onset of palliative care consultation. This manuscript examines current knowledge that explores the background of palliative care, the current practice in the emergency department, the positive outcomes and gaps that still exist today, and the increasing role of an advanced practice nurse in the emergency room and their impact on palliative care initiation.