Teaching in Times of Crisis Through a Palliative Care Lens.

ABSTRACT: The disruption of classroom and clinical education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in student distress and worry regarding the future of their education. Faculty trained in palliative care adapted the SPIKES mnemonic and applied it to real-time interactions with students in an effort to decrease distress and enable continued learning. Palliative care concepts, approaches, and techniques can be used to successfully facilitate faculty-student interactions during times of crisis and rapidly changing educational environments.

Running on Empty: Diminished Empathetic Reserve in Frontline Nurses.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a global health crisis. Novel and intolerable pressures have been placed upon nurses affecting their capacity to provide care. The aim of this exploratory study was to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nursing care delivery, the empathetic response of nurses to their patients and family members, and the emotional and physical well-being of the nurses. Four frontline nurses were interviewed while in the midst of the pandemic. Common themes emerged from analysis of the nurses' narratives and included changes in role, increased workload, depersonalized and mechanical care delivery, communication challenges with patient and family members, deficits in palliative care education, perceived poor administrative support, and physical/emotional exhaustion. Clinical leaders and nursing staff have opportunities to engage in supportive endeavors, which can restore focus and regain positive perceptions, strengthen coping skills, and deliver palliative care education in response to the ongoing challenges and stressors created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, they can build resilience in frontline nurses and ultimately impact delivery of compassionate and empathetic care to patients.

COVID-19 Shines a Spotlight on the Age-Old Problem of Social Isolation.

In the midst of COVID-19, the nation has become increasingly aware of the impact of social isolation on physical, social, spiritual, and psychological health. Older adults, especially those who are nearing the end of life, are already at higher risk of the detrimental effects of social isolation and loneliness. Novel social distancing rules imposed by governments and agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic have caused older adults to experience a degree of social isolation and loneliness that is unprecedented. This article highlights aspects of the social isolation and loneliness literature. Three cases of elderly patients who required medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic are presented. Common themes of factors contributing to social isolation in each of the health care delivery settings are described, and opportunities for creative interventions by health care providers are identified. As the pandemic continues to unfold and evolve, providers should aim to regularly assess patient risk of isolation and be proactive in preventing negative effects. Additionally, what is learned from health care providers' experiences delivering palliative care during a pandemic can be incorporated into daily practice as social isolation and loneliness are long-standing challenges for the elderly population.