"We palliative care professionals must become aware of our limitations."
The psycho-oncologist María Die Trill stressed at the University of Navarra "that it is important to manage one's own emotions well in order to help the patient".
PHOTO: Manuel Castells
"Palliative care professionals do not have to solve everything, we must be aware of our limitations. We have to say sorry, I enjoy the challenges but I know my limits.". This was stated by Dr. María Die Trill, a psycho-oncologist at the Gregorio Marañón Hospital in Madrid, at a workshop promoted by the Master's Degree in Palliative Care Nursing of the University of Navarra.
Die Trill spoke of the role that emotions play in the care of the terminally ill, and stressed that"the core topic is in knowing how to manage one's own emotions well in order to be able to treat the patient's emotions and help him and his family. In his opinion, "the most important thing is to know what meaning the person is experiencing, what he or she is losing, and this is achieved through internship. Otherwise, we will not appreciate what life gives us, what we have".
On the other hand, the expert pointed out, "the palliative care nursing professional must face difficult situations because in most cases they touch a button staff, hence the importance of looking for creative outlets in the face of difficulties." "We must be able to turn a tragedy into a professional success because meaningless suffering can lead to despair," she added.
The role of the family
Die Trill also referred to the patient's family "as a great ally to whom we must recognize all the power. "They know the patient better than anyone else and can help us take care of him," he stressed. "We have torecognize the family's suffering and take an interest in how they are doing. This is often enough to get them to open up and improve their attitude towards us professionals".