Dr. Kimberly D. Acquaviva, who grew up in Irving, ended 2017 with the news that her first book, LGBTQ-Inclusive Hospice and Palliative Care: A Practical Guide to Transforming Professional Practice, was awarded Book of the Year by the American Journal of Nursing. The award was given in the Palliative Care and Hospice category.
Lauded by health care professionals for its extensive research and Acquaviva’s passion for the subject; the book is a practical guide geared toward physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, registered nurses, social workers, counselors, and chaplains working in the industry. Reviewers state that even though the book is anchored in evidence and extensively referenced, it’s written in plain language. Most notably, instead of seeking to inform health care workers on how to handle LGBTQ patients as a “special population,” Acquaviva sought strategies for providing care to all patients in a manner that is inclusive of LGBTQ needs.
“This book provides an in-depth yet user-friendly cultural competency lesson that encompasses such important topics as terminology, historical context, family dynamics, physical histories, care planning, ethical and legal issues, spirituality, and institutional inclusiveness,” said Sherrill Wayland, manager of National Projects for SAGE (Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders). “All of these topics are essential to provide quality end-of-life care for LGBTQ patients, their spouses or partners, and families of origin/choice. The skills and competencies presented in this invaluable book extend beyond the hospice and palliative care provider and can serve as useful tools in all segments of the medical field, from the academic classroom and hospital diversity initiatives to home-health and long-term care settings.”
Acquaviva now lives in Washington, D.C. and is a tenured professor at the George Washington University School of Nursing, where she is a founding faculty member and has worked there since 2004. She is currently writing a second book which will detail the pioneering work of lesbians in the nursing field. Her scholarly work focuses on LGBTQ aging and end-of-life issues, and her clinical work has been with patients and families facing life-limiting illnesses in both hospital and hospice settings.
In her free time, Acquaviva has a letterpress business called Ink & Imp Press. She runs the business out of her garage print shop using an 1894 Chandler & Price printing press and old metal type. She’s also an Assistant Scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts and a First Day (Sunday School) teacher at her Quaker meeting house.
