Latest Susan D. Flynn Palliative Care Undergraduate Fellow completed the eight-week internship program at HopeHealth Hospice Cenmter in Providence

University of Rhode Island College of Nursing student Alexis Melanson is the latest participant in the Susan D. Flynn Palliative Care Undergraduate Fellowship. Melanson, a senior from Leominster, Mass., received a certificate of completion during a ceremony at HopeHealth Hospice Center in Providence on Aug. 1. The Center partners with URI to provide experiential learning for nursing students with an interest in hospice and palliative care.

For two months, Melanson worked full-time at the hospice center, helping fill a variety of roles in multiple departments. She worked directly with patients in long-term care, on the hospice unit, and in pediatric palliative care. Through the program, Melanson gained experience in direct patient care and learned the importance of palliative services, which include holistic, patient-centered treatment focused on improving the quality of life for individuals with serious illnesses by managing symptoms and reducing suffering. In addition to enhancing her expertise in palliative care, she was also able to contribute to the overall palliative care knowledge base through her research.

“I never really understood what palliative care was. I always knew it was comfort-care, but there is so much more that goes into it,” said Melanson, whose only prior experience with palliative care came when her uncle became a patient at Leominster Hospital, when she was working there as a CNA. “There are services for both the patient and the family—chaplains, social support, pretty much anything under that umbrella. When a patient goes on palliative care, it’s about improving quality of life, and ensuring their symptoms are managed and they are as comfortable as possible.”

Melanson’s experience in pediatric palliative care informed her research project, which focused on nonpharmacological therapies for pediatric patients. She also took a seminar on complex care conversations, a unique skill she said all nursing students should gain more experience in.

“A lot of people might not understand how much talking is involved, rather than just nursing skills alone,” Melanson said. “No matter where you are in a hospital or doctor’s office, you’re always going to have to have those really hard conversations, telling someone what their diagnosis or prognosis is, or talking to their family members. My biggest takeaway from this fellowship is the tools I’ve gained and the experience of seeing other nurses, social workers, etc., having those hard conversations with patients.”

Melanson is unsure whether palliative care is in her future after graduating from URI in December. She hopes to work in Boston, possibly in pediatric critical care, but she said the experience gained at HopeHealth will benefit her—and her future patients—no matter which department she ultimately works in.

“I hadn’t experienced everything that goes into palliative care, but now I can make my patients feel a little less scared if that’s one of their options,” Melanson said. “It’s something I can actually educate them on when I’m taking care of them.”

The Flynn Fellowship, a preceptor-based internship program, is sponsored by Fred Flynn in memory of his wife, Susan, who died of ovarian cancer. The specialized program is intended to stimulate career interest and foster the professional development of much-needed future palliative care nurses. The program is designed to enhance the student’s experiential learning opportunities including person/family care, internal meetings and educational forums. By producing well-educated, skilled, and prepared future palliative care nurses, the program’s ultimate goal is to help optimize the quality of life of patients and families living with serious illnesses. Students are exposed to such experiences as:

• Pain and symptom management.
• Physical, psychosocial and spiritual assessment and care.
• Inpatient and outpatient hospice and palliative care services.
• Comfort care, including pediatric hospice.
• Serious illness and end-of-life communication skills.
• Complex care conversations.
• Clinical and ethical issues.
• Advanced illness care.
• Community-based palliative care in the home.
• Family & Caregiver Support Programs.
• Bereavement services.
• Self-care and resilience.

Students interested in applying for a future fellowship can email a resume, transcript, two reference letters from recent professors and an essay on why they are interested in becoming a hospice and palliative care nurse, to Maria Appenfeller at mappenfeller@hopehealthco.org.