A Better Understanding of Supportive Palliative Care

Join podcast host, Kersten Rettig, in a deep-dive conversation with two experts in the field of palliative care, Dr. Kate Taylor and Dr. Cheryl Thaxton, from the College of Nursing at the UNT Health Science Center.  You’ll hear perspectives from both adult and pediatric palliative care, resources for caregivers, and how clinical staff come alongside patients and families during serious illness.  

Show Notes and Resources:

• Courageous Parent Network – A nonprofit organization working to equip and empower those caring for children with a serious medical condition. 
• Pregnancy Loss and Infant Death Alliance – A nonprofit organization focused on perinatal and neonatal bereavement care.
• The Warm Place - The WARM Place provides a safe, compassionate space for children and their families grieving the death loss of a loved one. 
• VNA Bereavement Support – Support for family members of patients and community members experiencing grief and loss.
• My Wishes Booklet - My Wishes is a booklet written in everyday language that helps children express how they want to be cared for in case they become seriously ill. 

Dr. Kate Taylor is a certified FNP with over 25 years of healthcare experience, including previous service as an Army Nurse Corps officer. She currently serves as the Assistant Dean of Clinical and Outreach Affairs for the College of Nursing and is an Assistant Professor, as well as adjunct faculty for the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. She is actively involved in a geriatrics primary care and house calls program and has a focus on advance care planning. Dr. Taylor engages in professional organizations, holding roles such as Secretary of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Practice Leadership Network and Legislative Ambassador for Texas Nurse Practitioners. She also serves as a board member for Dementia Friendly Fort Worth. Additionally, Dr. Taylor teaches interprofessional learners on local, national, and international platforms.  Dr. Taylor is a distinguished Fellow of the National Academies of Practice and a Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS). She holds the Tarrant Area Gerontological Society’s Mildred O. Hogstel Award and the Texas Nurse Practitioner’s Visionary Award, recognizing her exceptional contributions to patient care and education.

Cheryl Thaxton, DNP, APRN, CPNP, FNP-BC, CHPPN, FPCN, FAANP, FAAN is dual board certified in pediatrics and family practice as a nurse practitioner. Dr. Thaxton currently serves as the Founding Associate Dean, Regents Professor, and Chair of Graduate Studies for the College of Nursing (CON) at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) in Fort Worth. She has over 33 years of experience in nursing care of patients across the lifespan which includes several years of experience in critical care, palliative and hospice care, primary care, nursing leadership, curriculum development, and graduate program development/evaluation. Dr. Thaxton has devoted several years of her career to researching the specific needs of children and adults with life-limiting illnesses. She was part of a team of nursing faculty led by Dr. Betty Ferrell that helped to implement the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) Curriculum, an evidence-based palliative and hospice nursing initiative. Dr. Thaxton has a plethora of publications in the literature, podium presentations, and other notable scholarly activities. In 2021, Dr. Thaxton received the DFW Great 100 Nurses Awa