Handling the speedbumps throughout the caregiver

Mary O Trosien has been a certified nurse practitioner since 1995. She holds a Bachelor of  Science in Psychology and Nursing. She received her Master’s degree in Nursing in December of 1994. In addition to her traditional educational training, she has studied massage therapy, Reiki, Guided Imagery, and Therapeutic Touch. She has practiced in various roles throughout her career, including as a primary care  provider in a private medical practice for 10 years. She transitioned to  a hospital and joined a Palliative Care service as a consultant for  patients with life-limiting, critical illnesses. Her most recent role was  in a Transitional Care clinic in which she provided care to post-acute  care patients transitioning from the hospital to their homes. As a nurse practitioner, she has fully embraced a wholistic (mind- body-spirit) approach to patient care including determining psychosocial and socio-economic variables which potentially affected their recovery from illness back to wellness. “There is always more than 1 patient in the bed” became her saying after identifying the importance of the caregiver as a significant determinant in treatment success. However, she also realized limited resources for caregivers to support their demanding roles in providing care to their loved ones as well as care for themselves. As a NP, this summit provided by Tasha Doucas is an important educational event to support the growing number of caregivers as our population continues to age, the prevalence of chronic diseases and life-limiting diseases.