End of Life Conversations with a Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner
Redefining hope in the context of serious illness
End of Life Conversations with a Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner
Redefining hope in the context of serious illness
In this conversation, Heather Boykin joins Dr. Polly Watson to discuss the essential aspects of palliative care, emphasizing its role in improving the quality of life for individuals facing serious illnesses both for themselves and family members. She highlights the importance of advanced care planning, navigating conversations about personal preferences, and redefining hope in the context of serious illness. Heather gives practical resources for normalizing these conversations with loved ones and planning for future healthcare decisions.
“Palliative care is a partner with you on the journey.”
“A lot of people think about advanced care planning as being purely document preparation, but you know, that’s only one part of it. It is really reflecting on as we ourselves get along in this journey of life, what’s important to us about our medical care,” says Heather Boykin, a palliative care Nurse Practitioner. In this episode, Heather Boykin, alongside Dr. Polly Watson, discuss common misunderstandings around palliative care and normalizing end of life conversations.
This episode highlights the importance of starting these conversations early for ourselves and our loved ones as well as providing helpful prompts on how to think about what quality of life means to each individual. Dr. Watson and Heather Boykin discuss redefining hope throughout life’s journey and the importance of honor and dignity when practicing a human-focused model of medicine. “Palliative care is a partner with you on the journey. If you have received some news that you know is going to impact your life, it is always a good time, the earlier the better.”
Watch The Conversation!
In this conversation, Heather Boykin joins Dr. Polly Watson to discuss the essential aspects of palliative care, emphasizing its role in improving the quality of life for individuals facing serious illnesses both for themselves and family members. She highlights the importance of advanced care planning, navigating conversations about personal preferences, and redefining hope in the context of serious illness. Heather gives practical resources for normalizing these conversations with loved ones and planning for future healthcare decisions.
“Palliative care is a partner with you on the journey.”
“A lot of people think about advanced care planning as being purely document preparation, but you know, that’s only one part of it. It is really reflecting on as we ourselves get along in this journey of life, what’s important to us about our medical care,” says Heather Boykin, a palliative care Nurse Practitioner. In this episode, Heather Boykin, alongside Dr. Polly Watson, discuss common misunderstandings around palliative care and normalizing end of life conversations.
This episode highlights the importance of starting these conversations early for ourselves and our loved ones as well as providing helpful prompts on how to think about what quality of life means to each individual. Dr. Watson and Heather Boykin discuss redefining hope throughout life’s journey and the importance of honor and dignity when practicing a human-focused model of medicine. “Palliative care is a partner with you on the journey. If you have received some news that you know is going to impact your life, it is always a good time, the earlier the better.”
Key Takeaways:
🌸 Heather Boykin and Dr. Polly Watson discuss misunderstandings around palliative care and how palliative care acts as a partner when faced with life-impacting news.
🌸 Advanced care planning is often misunderstood as just document preparation. It involves reflecting on what is important regarding medical care throughout life’s journey.
🌸 Importance of normalizing end-of-life conversations and starting conversations early for ourselves and loved ones.
🌸 Provides helpful prompts for defining individual quality of life.
🌸 Practical resources to normalize discussions about healthcare decisions with loved ones.
Quotes:
- “A lot of people think about advanced care planning as being purely document preparation, but you know, that’s only one part of it. It is really reflecting on as we ourselves get along in this journey of life, what’s important to us about our medical care.”
- “Palliative care is a partner with you on the journey. If you have received some news that you know is going to impact your life, it is always a good time, the earlier the better.”
- “Embracing other ways to care for us when we’re sick, redefining hope means that things like hospice or end-of-life care can become an important tool.”
Resources:
Resources: https://hormonewellnessmd.com/podcast-resources
Disclaimer: https://hormonewellnessmd.com/podcast-disclaimer
Meet the Guest!
Heather Boykin, DNP, RN, ANP-BC is a highly motivated, organized, patient advocate, educator, kinesthetic learner and adult nurse practitioner with diverse experience in the healthcare, research and medical environments.
She enjoys a fast-paced, active, scientific, intellectually challenging and innovative environment which draws upon her advanced practice skills and clinical research knowledge.
A lot of people think about advanced care planning as being purely document preparation, but you know, that’s only one part of it. It is really reflecting on as we ourselves get along in this journey of life, what’s important to us about our medical care.
Meet the host!
Dr. Polly Watson is a board certified OBGYN who has additional training in menopausal medicine, sexual medicine and functional medicine.
She looks forward to sharing her knowledge with you to help find a solution to address the imbalance in your system and restore your health.
In 2019 I left my job as an employed physician with a large organization and started Hormone Wellness MD. I started with no staff working out of a single room. Since then, my staff has grown to a team of 5 and we’ve helped over 1,100 people on their health journey.
Meet the Guest!
Heather Boykin, DNP, RN, ANP-BC is a highly motivated, organized, patient advocate, educator, kinesthetic learner and adult nurse practitioner with diverse experience in the healthcare, research and medical environments.
She enjoys a fast-paced, active, scientific, intellectually challenging and innovative environment which draws upon her advanced practice skills and clinical research knowledge.
A lot of people think about advanced care planning as being purely document preparation, but you know, that’s only one part of it. It is really reflecting on as we ourselves get along in this journey of life, what’s important to us about our medical care.
Meet the host!
Dr. Polly Watson is a board certified OBGYN who has additional training in menopausal medicine, sexual medicine and functional medicine.
She looks forward to sharing her knowledge with you to help find a solution to address the imbalance in your system and restore your health.
In 2019 I left my job as an employed physician with a large organization and started Hormone Wellness MD. I started with no staff working out of a single room. Since then, my staff has grown to a team of 5 and we’ve helped over 1,100 people on their health journey.
