A palliative care nurse has revealed the stunning issues she’s discovered about dying and dying after working in end-of-life take care of 23 years.
Jan Palmer, 64, a Marie Curie nurse based mostly in a hospice in Cardiff, is because of retire on Christmas Eve after 42 years within the position.
Throughout her time in palliative care, Jan has labored with sufferers within the hospice, and offered emotional and scientific help on the free helpline for individuals who reside or caring for somebody with a terminal sickness.
Regardless of difficult moments in her lengthy profession, Jan says she’s ‘by no means’ thought-about leaving the position and has ‘liked it’ since day one, when she first stepped into the hospice in 2002.
Talking solely to FEMAIL forward of her retirement, Jan has revealed the stunning issues she’s discovered about dying and dying.
Opposite to public perception, Jan stated she has seen ‘extra good deaths than not’ and that her time in palliative care has ‘completely’ introduced her higher peace of thoughts about her personal dying.
She stated: ‘A person’s dying can look so completely different. However I firmly imagine that with the correct help in place, the overwhelming majority of us can have a superb dying.
‘The general public would not essentially know what it might appear to be, and that is half the battle, if it is demystified. As a result of I’ve the data, I really feel comforted.
Jan Palmer has labored in finish of life take care of 23 years. As her retirement approaches, she speaks to FEMAIL about what she’s discovered about dying and dying
‘It is a very pure course of, the dying course of, and it genuinely is not to be feared. It is pure to be terrified of it as a result of we do not all the time have the correct data and we have by no means had that open dialog with anyone.
‘However the overwhelming majority of individuals have a peaceable dying. Lots of people imagine that every one deaths are painful and that’s completely not the case. In my humble expertise, I’ve actually seen extra good deaths than not.’
Jan stated that one of many first issues that occurs when an individual is about to die is that they are going to lose their means to swallow.
This may increasingly imply they cannot preserve down remedy, however nurses can often assist by repositioning them to stop a build-up of saliva.
If this does not work, it could possibly be time to introduce a syringe driver – a small, battery-operated pump that may ship remedy constantly beneath the pores and skin.
A standard misunderstanding is that syringe drivers are solely used on the finish of life and pace up an individual’s dying.
However Jan emphasised that they can be utilized for symptom administration at any stage of the sickness and introducing one would not essentially imply somebody is dying. Actually, it is doable for somebody to come back off a syringe driver and again onto different strategies of remedy.
Equally, lots of people assume palliative care means you are imminently dying, however in truth it is about selling dwelling nicely, and might be concerned at a really early stage.
Jan, 64, says she’s completely ‘liked’ her job and by no means thought-about doing the rest
Marie Curie palliative care nurses help every kind of terminal circumstances, not simply most cancers, but in addition motor neurone illness (MND), coronary heart illness, kidney illness, even cognitive impairment together with dementia and Alzheimer’s.
In addition to shedding the power to swallow, indicators that somebody could also be nearing dying can embrace: sleeping extra, being drowsy, being stressed or agitated, modifications to the respiratory sample, mottled pores and skin and respiratory much less.
These all kind a part of the pure means of dying.
To make somebody snug of their remaining days, nurses use music, TV and bringing in an individual’s pets to assist them.
The most cancers help charity has even launched a Spotify end-of-life music playlist, based mostly on analysis into what issues most on the finish of life.
Jan says that simply being round somebody and enabling them to have a voice on this time is among the most vital issues you are able to do.
She stated: ‘I all the time allow the person who I meet to have a possibility to speak. It is about what issues most to them, to allow them to have a voice to hear.
‘Listening is the largest a part of my position and it is so highly effective as a result of that particular person could have by no means had a possibility to inform their story.
‘It doesn’t matter what folks’s beliefs, if it provides them consolation on the very finish of life, it’s because the affected person says it’s. For me, the dying course of is non secular, and being allowed to be current. It is a privilege to be with that particular person.
‘I’m a scientist and I like proof however finish the top of the day that does not imply to say it isn’t there. We will all have these values, and I like to think about myself as a non secular individual.’
On the help line, the commonest questions Jan receives are ‘am I dying?’ and ‘how lengthy have I received?’
A part of the position entails talking to sufferers and kinfolk on the Marie Curie help line
Jan tries to personalise her solutions in every case however is aware of she needs to be ready for something
Jan says her solutions are ‘private’ to every case, and can gently method subjects akin to the place they wish to die, and contemplating a sophisticated care plan.
She will additionally recognise if she’s coping with an emergency scenario akin to sepsis and might direct them to somebody who will help.
She added: ‘Usually the callers will know the solutions, however they really feel extra snug bouncing it off somebody.
‘It’s a must to be ready for the whole lot. Nearly all of folks have peaceable deaths, particularly with good symptom administration. Everyone seems to be entitled to good finish of life care, and I’ve seen the way it ought to look.’
Jan will help demystify the method, particularly if it is round symptom administration.
Talking about her upcoming retirement, Jan confessed that she has ‘combined feelings’.
She stated: ‘I do not know if I ever noticed myself retiring if I am trustworthy with you, I have been nursing for almost 42 years and I am keen on my work. It has been essentially the most enriching, highly effective expertise. I liked each second of it.
‘I needed to aspire to be the nurse that any individual would need at their bedside once they had been dying. For me that was completely what it was all about.’
Jan stated the ‘greatest feeling’ in regards to the job is ‘the sensation on the finish of the day that one has executed one’s very best and hopefully made a distinction, nevertheless small, in any individual’s life.’
