Charting New Paths: The Nurse Practitioner's Role in Leading Specialty-Aligned Palliative Care Consult Teams

Palliative care has expanded beyond its traditional focus on the oncology population to meet the growing needs of patients with diverse diagnoses. A model of specialty-aligned palliative care has emerged as a means of integrating palliative care into various clinical specialties. Equipped with expert clinical skills, a holistic approach to patient care, and an emphasis on interprofessional collaboration, nurse practitioners are uniquely positioned to lead these teams. This article examines the role nurse practitioners play as leaders of 4 specialty-aligned palliative care teams at a major metropolitan academic medical center. It highlights key contributions to the successful integration of palliative care into oncology, cardiac, renal, and medical-surgical specialties. Although there are clear benefits of nurse practitioner-led specialty-aligned teams, further research and advocacy is needed to strengthen this model and increase access to quality palliative care.