PACCT Nurse/ palliative care nurse
Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics
PACCT (Pediatric Advanced Comfort Care Team)
2401 Gillham Rd
Kansas City
MOUSA
64108-4619
Email:
tspencer@cmh.edu
Biographical Sketch: Tonja Spencer is a nurse with the palliative care team (PACCT-Pediatric Advanced Comfort Care Team) at Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City, MO. PACCT is Children's Mercy Hospital and Clinic's nurse driven palliative care program. PACCT has received over 800 referrals and currently follows 275 active patients with an average daily inpatient census of 15-20 patients. PACCT referrals are children that are at risk to die in a 5 year period. PACCT ensures these identified children receive ongoing continuity of palliative care throughout the care continuum. As one of PACCT's nurses Tonja meets with the child and the families of these children and assists them in identifying goals, care preferences, and quality of life. Tonja identifes the interdisciplinary team within the child’s primary care team, then communicates with and ensures all needed members of the interdisciplinary team are working with family and that the child's and the family's unique specific palliative care needs are being met (physical, emotional, spiritual). Tonja has been a nurse at that hospital for 25 years and has worked with the PACCT for the last 5 years (1 year after its inception).
Tonja received her BSN at the University of Missouri in 1985 and has received her certification in Pediatric Nursing (CPN). Tonja is also a "Train the Trainer" for IPPC (Initiative for Pediatric Palliative Care Curriculum) as well as for ELNEC (End of Life Nursing Consortium). Tonja gives multiple presentations to staff at Children's Mercy Hospitals and Cllinics on palliative care each year. These include presentations hospital wide to all members of the inter-disciplinarian team, presentations to new nurse/care assistant orientations, new nurse grads and community nursing schools . Tonja has also presented at the most recent ELNEC conference in Kansas City at the University of Kansas Hospital.
Tonja is also currently a Certified Lay Speaker with the United Methodist Church and has given spiritual presentations and sermons at churches and retreats.