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Karen Bycroft NP Palliative Paeds
Karyn Bycroft NP Palliative Paeds
Karyn is a Nurse Practitioner with the Paediatric Palliative Care Service based at Starship Child Health. She has been instrumental in the development of this service and paediatric palliative care nationally through several working groups including a member of the National Paediatric Palliative Care Clinical Reference Group (joint appointment with Paediatric Society and Ministry of Health), National Governance for Adolescent and Young Adults Cancer Network Aoteoroa and previously on the Palliative Care Council of NZ (advisory role to Minister of Health). She is a senior member of the international faculty for Education in Palliative and End of Life Care (EPEC) – paediatric and involved in leading a post graduate paper on Palliative care for Infants, children and adolescents at the University of Auckland. She is passionate about supporting clinicians - particularly nurses, through the challenges of providing palliative care to children and their families/whanau in a range of settings.
ABSTRACT
Title: Increasing complexities for infants, children and young people receiving palliative care: increasing engagement with other health services including primary care
There have been significant changes in the Paediatric Palliative Care population over the past decade. Due to advances in disease directed treatment and supportive care the younger population who had illnesses unlikely to survive their childhood years are living longer, some well into adulthood.
An excellent approach to Paediatric Palliative Care has been developed for New Zealand1 however there are still inequities in the provision of care nationwide. The younger population of NZ has been excluded from any additional funding or resourcing to improve care provision despite increased growth in this population, increased complexity and timeframe for involvement. There are now urgent and challenges in transitioning young adults with paediatric conditions into adult services.
This presentation will highlight, with case examples, some of these issues and complexities of providing Paediatric Palliative Care where there is less certainty of prognosis and outlook for this area of care. It will include the importance of collaboration and communication with the young person and their family and a recommended approach that includes engagement with other services including primary health care services.
- Ministry of Health. 2012. Guidance for Integrated Paediatric Palliative Care Services in New Zealand. Wellington: New Zealand Ministry of Health
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