2017 ANZSPM Aotearoa Annual Conference and AGM

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We at Palliverse love a conference, especially one that “brings together doctors working in palliative care” in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

The 2017 ANZSPM Aotearoa Annual Conference and AGM will be held in Christchurch this year. It all starts off with the Trainee Day on 11/08/17 which is open to all Palliative Medicine trainees, General Practitioners with a special interest in Palliative Care and Medical officers working in Palliative Care.

The 2017 Annual Education Update Programme is packed with many topics of interest, and will be a good opportunity to catch up with what is going on all over the country, as well as catching up with new and old friends. This year Dr Wendy Pattemore will be introducing a new session called, “Wild Successes and Fabulous Failures,” which will provide an opportunity to share how Palliative Care is done in your own ‘patch’.

To register you can either use this 2017 Annual Education Days and Trainee Day Registration Form or register via the website. Attendees must be ANZSPM members. Our friends from Australia are always very welcome!

For my reflections from the 2015 ANZSPM Aotearoa conference, click here.

I think therefore I am? – Connecting?

Heart Connection (by Alisa Looney)

Heart Connection by Alisa Looney. Photo by Nancy Regan, taken in Puyallup, Washington, used under Creative Commons licence.

Talking to patients can be challenging, and it can be a struggle to make a connection sometimes. You need to have a plan as to how you are going to play the interaction game, and  it can feel like a particularly demanding game of chess at times. You may have to pick your words carefully, as not everyone is naturally trusting, especially towards someone that they have never met before i.e. a total stranger. What worked on patient A in room 2 may fail dismally with patient C in room 5. Everyone is different as are their responses to your attempts to make a connection. That is what it is all about, through use of all the communication skills that you have learnt, you try to make a connection with another person. How can I ‘click’ with the other person in order for us to have important conversations?

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Community members wanted

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We want you! (By James Montgomery Flagg via Wikipedia)

We are looking for community members to join our team at Palliverse.

If you are interested in palliative care and would like to contribute to our work here at Palliverse, we would love to hear from you! We are seeking individuals who do not directly work in palliative care, and are keen to invite current, past and future consumers (e.g. patients, carers, family or friend) to come on board. Personal experience with palliative care is welcome but not essential. Prior participation in community advocacy or representation is not required – but sharing our goals and values is a must!  Continue reading

Palliverse people’s database

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(Image: University of Michigan Library Card Catalog by dfulmer / CC BY)

We have updated the Palliverse researchers database and temporarily renamed it “Palliverse peoples database“.

Why, I hear you ask?  Continue reading