NHPCO NewsLine Spring 2021 - 6

Trauma Informed
End-of-Life Care

INTRODUCTION TO NHPCO'S RESOURCE SERIES
by NHPCO TIEOLC Work Group

Uncertainty, unpredictability, and a lack of control
characterize traumatic events. In the current
pandemic, these have become an everyday way of life.
These conditions are challenging for us all, especially
for the estimated 82 percent* of us who have
experienced some form of trauma in our lifetime.
These abnormal situations can make individuals feel
as if there is something wrong with them as they
struggle. In fact, these reactions are normal in the
face of abnormal events such as the ones we are
currently experiencing. To respond to this need, the
NHPCO Trauma Informed End of Life work group is
developing a series of articles that provide
information and recommendations to help navigate
these unprecedented times.

Understanding the Importance
Pre-pandemic, healthcare professionals were
beginning to understand the importance of Trauma
Informed Care (TIC) to protect the well-being of
both those we serve and our teams and
organizations. TIC can contribute to improved
well-being for staff and patients, increased
satisfaction, decreased complaints, decreased
emotional labor, reduced risks of burnout, and save
other valuable agency resources. This is especially
important while working in pandemic conditions.

*Psychological Medicine (2016), 46, 327-343. doi: 10.1017/S0033291715001981

6

Newsline / Spring 2021

The basic TIC principles include:
*
*
*
*
*
*

safety
t rustworthiness and transparency
peer support
collaboration and mutuality
empowerment, voice, and choice, and
cultural, historical and gender issues

Re-Envision Support
Learning and implementing TIC principles can feel
overwhelming for professionals and agencies.
However, the risks are too great and potential
benefits too important to delay action. As horrible
as this pandemic is, it presents an opportunity to
revolutionize our industry as we re-envision how we
support each other and those we serve.
One predictor of compassion fatigue is a sense of
blurred boundaries, the need to fulfill all of the needs
of the patients and families we serve. The enormity
of need is now so great that even the healthiest,
most seasoned, and boundaried professionals are
struggling with the moral distress of not being able
to tend to it all.
TIC begins with recognizing and caring for our own
needs. As professionals serving others, there is often
guilt related to allocating time and resources to our
NHPCO NewsLine Spring 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NHPCO NewsLine Spring 2021
