Title : Shaping future of palliative nurses

Palliative Care (PC) or End of life care (EOL) Nursing is providing access to patient centred, medical, Psychological & Social care, Affordability or Access must not matter! Therefore, It’s the Responsibility of the Countries & Provinces. It doesn't mean hastening their demise because as a country we can’t afford to treat. Not funding palliative care adds suffering to the patient and the family. Supportive treatment for cancer patients is a multidisciplinary Endeavor to ensure that the patients have the best quality of life possible throughout the course of the disease. While Oncologists provide basic cancer therapy, Palliative Nurse must be capable of providing basic care to manage a) acute side effects like infection, nausea, vomiting, pain, b) Cancer-related metabolic & ionic disorders, & c) wide range of side effects associated with targeted biological cancer therapy. An active Palliative Nurse with expertise in the management of many chronic and/or recurrent symptoms, such as pain, malnutrition, obstructive syndromes, psychiatric disorders, & neurological disorders are called to assist the oncologist, at i) home in accordance ii) at Hospices iii) hospitals. As PN must aim to improve the patient’s, morbid manifestations, at the place S/he used to live. The active supportive palliative Nurse assumes a triple role i) Available for consultations & care at home for minor side effect, nutrition, hydration etc. ii) Seek & provide out-patient contacts, Run a limited in-patient support patients with acute episodes of chronic symptoms (pain, obstruction, depression, malnutrition) iii) PN must be in contact with the oncologist even if cancer therapy is rendered ineffective, specifically when a very limited survival is anticipated

Dr Suresh Kishanrao, popularly known as Dr K. Suresh holds an MBBS, MD in Preventive and Social Medicine and a PG Diploma in Industrial Health. Starting the career as Medical Officer of health centers in1968 with Health Department of Karnataka and rose to the State Immunization Officer post by 1985. I was teaching Auxiliary Nurses between 1978-1989. My passion to empower nurses continues till today. Joined as an epidemiologist UNICEF in September 1989 and retired as Senior Program Officer, Health, in January 2006. Since February 2006 I am practicing as family physician with special interest in Diabetes care. As a freelance Public Health (Child) Consultant I have led many community-based health reviews / evaluation teams for WHO, World Bank, UNICEF, PwC, KPMG, AMALTA India and Development Facilitator etc. in India, Bhutan, Nepal. Ethiopia and Azerbaijan. Since August 2018 I am a visiting Professor of Practice in Public Health to Karnataka State Rural Development University and a couple of other Academic Institutes.

I was awarded an honorary fellowship of Indian Academy of Pediatrics (FIAP), Indian Public Health Association (FIPHA) and Indian School of Malaria and other Communicable Diseases (FISCD) and the Best Community Health Professional from Karnataka Association of Community Health in 2013. I have contributed more than 50 research papers that have been published in many international web-based journals and participate as a speaker in 4-5 conferences each year.