Prolonged Field Care Podcast PFC Podcast 261: Stop teaching Palliative Care
Jan 12, 2026
Jennifer Gurney, a trauma and burn surgeon, and JR Pickett, an EMS physician and battalion surgeon, dive into the complexities of end-of-life care in austere settings. They argue against traditional palliative care terminology, highlighting its potential to mislead and jeopardize care effectiveness. Key discussions include the moral injuries faced by medics making early futility calls and the need for training that balances ethical considerations with practical skills. They also emphasize the importance of supporting medics post-decision and the use of mortality reviews for improving care systems.
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Train For Humane End‑Of‑Life Care
- Teach medics how to provide humane end-of-life and expectant casualty care as part of core training.
- Avoid labeling battlefield practice as 'palliative care' to prevent wrong messaging to the force.
Words Shape Operational Expectations
- Calling battlefield end-of-life practice 'palliative care' carries specialty connotations that harm operational messaging.
- Mislabeling can reduce survivability focus and sow nihilism among troops and medics.
Give Medics Decision Support
- Provide medics decision-support tools and evidence-based rubrics to reduce moral injury when declaring futility.
- Use those tools to document why a tough decision was made so providers can justify choices later.
