[The activity and tasks of certified nurse concerning the construction of palliative care system]

A certified nurse in palliative care works in the local medical collaboration office of Towada City Hospital. The certified nurse collaborates with the people in charge of medical care, home care, and welfare work. The home care system has been constructed with these specialists mentioned above. The activity of certified nurse in 2007 and 2008 increased due to an increase in the number of interventions for patients and their families. The majority of interventions consisted of prescription consultation, explanation of medical machines and coordination for other specialists. The tasks in the future are to educate doctors and nurses about palliative-care, open the community palliative-care support centers, encourage continued cooperation among the palliative-care specialists, and educate the public about palliative-care programs.