Every year, more than 5 million patients are admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and an average of 55 000 ICU patients are being cared for daily across the United States.1 Indeed, 20% of all hospital deaths are associated with an ICU stay within the final 3 days of life.2–4 The number of patients admitted to the ICU is expected to rise as our aging population continues to increase. The neurologic intensive care unit (NICU) often admits many patients with abrupt and devastating diagnoses or injuries. The plan of care for these patients can quickly change from aggressive, life-prolonging measures to end-of-life care when the diagnosis and prognosis become clear. NICU staff at the University of Florida Health Shands Hospital became concerned with a lack of formal structure and support within their unit to deliver high-quality palliative, hospice, and bereavement care to this population of...
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1 October 2017
In Our Unit|
October 01 2017
Improving Care at the End of Life: Creating Hospice in Place
Tonja M. Hartjes, DNP, ACNP-BC, FNP-BC, CCRN, CSC;
Tonja M. Hartjes is a clinical associate professor and track coordinator of the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care DNP Program, University of Florida Health Shands Hospital, Gainesville, Florida. Jacqueline Baron-Lee is the director of quality improvement for the Neuromedicine Interdisciplinary Clinical and Academic Program at the University of Florida and University of Florida Health Shands Hospital. Jeannette M. Hester is a clinical leader in the neurologic intensive care unit at University of Florida Health Shands Hospital. Sheri M. Kittelson is the medical director of the palliative care program at University of Florida Health Shands Hospital.
Corresponding author: Tonja M. Hartjes, dnp, acnp-bc, fnp-bc, ccrn, csc, faanp, University of Florida Health Shands Hospital, PO Box 100197, Gainesville, FL 32610-0187 (email: [email protected]).
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Jacqueline Baron-Lee, PhD;
Jacqueline Baron-Lee, PhD
Tonja M. Hartjes is a clinical associate professor and track coordinator of the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care DNP Program, University of Florida Health Shands Hospital, Gainesville, Florida. Jacqueline Baron-Lee is the director of quality improvement for the Neuromedicine Interdisciplinary Clinical and Academic Program at the University of Florida and University of Florida Health Shands Hospital. Jeannette M. Hester is a clinical leader in the neurologic intensive care unit at University of Florida Health Shands Hospital. Sheri M. Kittelson is the medical director of the palliative care program at University of Florida Health Shands Hospital.
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Jeannette M. Hester, RN, MSN, CCRN;
Jeannette M. Hester, RN, MSN, CCRN
Tonja M. Hartjes is a clinical associate professor and track coordinator of the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care DNP Program, University of Florida Health Shands Hospital, Gainesville, Florida. Jacqueline Baron-Lee is the director of quality improvement for the Neuromedicine Interdisciplinary Clinical and Academic Program at the University of Florida and University of Florida Health Shands Hospital. Jeannette M. Hester is a clinical leader in the neurologic intensive care unit at University of Florida Health Shands Hospital. Sheri M. Kittelson is the medical director of the palliative care program at University of Florida Health Shands Hospital.
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Sheri M. Kittelson, MD
Sheri M. Kittelson, MD
Tonja M. Hartjes is a clinical associate professor and track coordinator of the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care DNP Program, University of Florida Health Shands Hospital, Gainesville, Florida. Jacqueline Baron-Lee is the director of quality improvement for the Neuromedicine Interdisciplinary Clinical and Academic Program at the University of Florida and University of Florida Health Shands Hospital. Jeannette M. Hester is a clinical leader in the neurologic intensive care unit at University of Florida Health Shands Hospital. Sheri M. Kittelson is the medical director of the palliative care program at University of Florida Health Shands Hospital.
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Crit Care Nurse (2017) 37 (5): 93–96.
Citation
Tonja M. Hartjes, Jacqueline Baron-Lee, Jeannette M. Hester, Sheri M. Kittelson; Improving Care at the End of Life: Creating Hospice in Place. Crit Care Nurse 1 October 2017; 37 (5): 93–96. doi: https://doi.org/10.4037/ccn2017228
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