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Pediatric Palliative Care

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Pediatric Palliative Care
Implementation of Pediatric Palliative Care
Jeanene “Nikki” Bowen
Georgetown University School of Nursing and Health Studies
NURO540

Implementation of Pediatric Palliative Care
Hundreds of thousands of children are diagnosed each year with complex life-limiting illnesses in the United States. End of life decisions in children with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions are a major challenge in the pediatric population. It is unnatural for a parent to have to make end-of-life decisions for a child. Pediatric palliative care (PPC) is a relatively new specialty in the medical field (Bergstraesser, 2013). Pediatric palliative care is supportive care provided to children with life-limiting illnesses and their families. PPC aims to improve their remaining quality of life by alleviating emotional, physical, spiritual and social stressors that come from life-limiting conditions (Knapp C. , et al., 2012). The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), World Health Organization (WHO), and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) have recommended early implementation of pediatric palliative care programs to assist with continuous medical management at time of initial diagnosis carrying through to the end of life. Palliative care serves to provide resources in making difficult decisions and improving the remaining quality of life. This paper evaluates the importance of initiating a palliative care consult at time of diagnosis versus when death is impending and the improvement in the quality of life that is achieved.
PICOT Question In the pediatric population, does the implementation of pediatric palliative care services at time of diagnosis in children with complex illnesses, improve the quality of life compared to those not receiving such support?

Population
The pediatric population includes all children aged newborn to 18 years old. Pediatric palliative care services focus on children with complex, life limiting conditions. In the realm of
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