Hines attended Brock\u2019s Nursing program as a mature student. A chance opportunity to care for a friend\u2019s mother, who had dementia and a fractured hip, had inspired her to pivot from her earlier training in fashion design to a career in nursing. Originally planning to work in dementia care, Hines was quickly drawn to the field of palliative care when she began her studies at Brock.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt just seemed like the embodiment of what good nursing care is,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s person-centred care, it includes the family, and it keeps them at the centre of everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hines balanced her Brock studies with part-time work as a personal support worker for people with acquired brain injuries. Once graduated, Hines turned down a full-time role in a hospital to work part time in a local hospice.<\/p>\n
\u201cI came into nursing to do something that was fulfilling, and palliative care was exactly what I wanted to be doing,\u201d she said. \u201cI get to see so many beautiful experiences through the lifespan. People trust me in their most vulnerable moments, and I think that\u2019s such a privilege.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hines spent nearly eight years as a Palliative Pain and Symptom Management Consultant with Hospice Niagara, teaching health-care providers to build capacity for palliative care and consulting with long-term care homes. While in the role, she provided in-service training to Brock Nursing, Med Plus and Master of Applied Gerontology students and participated in palliative care simulations.<\/p>\n
While palliative care is often seen as a specialty, Hines said, it is also an expectation for generalist level nurses and health-care providers.<\/p>\n
\u201cA focus of my practice has been considering how we foster and cultivate nurses coming into the field who want to do palliative care,\u201d she said. \u201cMost patients won’t need specialist level palliative care, so I think every health-care provider needs to have a basic level of competency.\u201d<\/p>\n
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