[Palliative care in Seirei Mikatahara General Hospital Department of Palliative and Supportive Care, Seirei Mikatahara General Hospital].

This paper illustrates a brief review of the development process of the palliative care team at the Seirei Mikatahara General Hospital. Palliative care team has been first instituted in 2002, and currently providing general support for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy not only for terminally ill patients. In future, we would start a regional palliative care program, including community palliative care team, to provide appropriate palliative care for all cancer population.

Self-reported practice, confidence, and knowledge about palliative care of nurses in a Japanese Regional Cancer Center: longitudinal study after 1-year activity of palliative care team.

Knowledge and skill deficits about palliative care in medical professionals are among the most common barriers to quality palliative care. This study in a Japanese regional cancer center was conducted to clarify nurses' self-reported practices, confidence, and knowledge, and the changes in these parameters after the 1-year educational and clinical activity of a palliative care team. Questionnaires were distributed to 134 nurses before and after a palliative care team conducted 6-topic educational programs and clinical consultation activity throughout the year.