Jo Hendrickson NP Intern
Jo Hendrickson is a Nurse Practitioner Intern who accidently fell into palliative care in 2002, and grew to love it. She graduated with a Master of Nursing (Clinical) from the University of Victoria, Wellington in 2012.
Her workplace roles have been varied and range from registered nurse in inpatients and community to Community Team Leader, acting Clinical Nurse Leader. Jo considers one of her favourite achievements was as one of the three initial community nurses who set up the community service at Hospice Marlborough
Jo is currently the treasurer for Palliative Care Nurses New Zealand (PCNNZ), an organization which represents palliative nursing members who are drawn from all care settings. PCNNZ supports education of the palliative nursing workforce through biannual scholarships, biennial conferences and regional study days.
Jo has a passion for education and for raising the profile of palliative care in her workplace, the community and within patient populations.
Jo is currently on the ‘slow track’ to Nurse Practitioner and lives in sunny Marlborough.
ABSTRACT
Title: Keeping It Simple: Utilising Sublingual Medications for Symptom Management at the End of Life
Traditionally, Hospice Marlborough has managed end of life symptoms with subcutaneous medications, whether the person being cared for is in the hospice inpatient unit, a residential care facility or the community.
Issues that were identified with the sole use of subcutaneous medications included the physical and psychological impact on the patients of having injectable medications, the perceived increased complexity and stress for carers’ in managing end of life symptoms with subcutaneous medications, and the cost of time and equipment on limited palliative resources.
The introduction of sublingual medications as another string to the bow of our palliative service has proven successful and popular both in our palliative population and with other health professionals. In addition, utilizing sublingual medications has the added benefit of reducing the environmental footprint of our palliative service due to the reduced consumption of plastics, fuel and medications.
This presentation will focus on considerations to be made when assessing palliative patients for sublingual medications, the medications commonly used, their strengths, doses and the education that is provided to our patients and their caregivers.
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