Rural community-based nurses’ self-reported knowledge and skills in the provision of psychosocial care to palliative and end-of-life clients and carers

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Eli Ristevski ◽  
Michael Leach ◽  
Ellen Bolton ◽  
Melissa Spargo ◽  
Anny Byrne ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective This study examined rural community-based nurses' self-reported knowledge and skills in the provision of psychosocial care to rural residing palliative and end-of-life clients and carers. We further sought to determine correlates of knowledge gaps to inform workforce education and planning. Method Nurses from a rural area of Victoria, Australia, were invited to complete an electronic questionnaire rating their knowledge against 6 national palliative care standards and 10 screening and assessment tools. A 5-point scale of (1) No experience to (5) Can teach others was used to rate knowledge. Results were classified into three categories: practice gaps, areas of consolidation, and strengths. Descriptive and logistical regression was used to analyze data. Results A total of 122 of 165 nurses (response rate = 74%) completed the survey. Of these nurses, 87% were Registered Nurses, 43% had ≥10 years' experience in palliative care, and 40% had palliative care training. The majority of practices across the standards and screening and assessment tools were rated as knowledge strengths (N = 55/67, 82%). Gaps and areas of consolidation were in the use of client and carer assessment tools, the care of specific populations such as children, supporting carers with appropriate referrals, resources, and grief, and facilitating the processes of reporting a death to the coroner. Lack of formal training and lower years of experience were found to be associated with practice gaps. Significance of results Our study found rural nurses were confident in their knowledge and skills in the majority of psychosocial care. As generalist nurses make up the majority of the rural nursing workforce, further research should be undertaken on what educational strategies are needed to support and upskill rural community-based nurses to undertake formal training in palliative care.

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. e037466
Author(s):  
Patricia Harasym ◽  
Sarah Brisbin ◽  
Misha Afzaal ◽  
Aynharan Sinnarajah ◽  
Lorraine Venturato ◽  
...  

ObjectiveThe COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted ongoing challenges to optimal supportive end-of-life care for adults living in long-term care (LTC) facilities. A supportive end-of-life care approach emphasises family involvement, optimal symptom control, multidisciplinary team collaboration and death and bereavement support services for residents and families. Community-based and palliative care specialist physicians who visit residents in LTC facilities play an important role in supportive end-of-life care. Yet, perspectives, experiences and perceptions of these physicians remain unknown. The objective of this study was to explore barriers and facilitators to optimal supportive end-of-life palliative care in LTC through the experiences and perceptions of community-based and palliative specialist physicians who visit LTC facilities.DesignQualitative study using semi-structured interviews, basic qualitative description and directed content analysis using the COM-B (capability, opportunity, motivation - behaviour) theoretical framework.SettingResidential long-term care.Participants23 physicians who visit LTC facilities from across Alberta, Canada, including both in urban and rural settings of whom 18 were community-based physicians and 5 were specialist palliative care physicians.ResultsMotivation barriers include families’ lack of frailty knowledge, unrealistic expectations and emotional reactions to grief and uncertainty. Capability barriers include lack of symptom assessment tools, as well as palliative care knowledge, training and mentorship. Physical and social design barriers include lack of dedicated spaces for death and bereavement, inadequate staff, and mental health and spiritual services of insufficient scope for the population.ConclusionFindings reveal that validating families’ concerns, having appropriate symptom assessment tools, providing mentorship in palliative care and adapting the physical and social environment to support dying and grieving with dignity facilitates supportive, end-of-life care within LTC.


Author(s):  
Aliki Karapliagou ◽  
Allan Kellehear ◽  
Klaus Wegleitner

This chapter briefly outlines the history, key concepts, and main practice methods from public health approaches to end-of-life care. Although linked to psychosocial care approaches, its main methods draw not from psychology or health services inspired approaches but rather from health promotion, community development, and civic engagement. Key methods covered include community volunteering, social networking, community engagement, and compassionate communities and cities. The aim of these kinds of approaches is to embed palliative care practice as a social and civic practice in all sectors of society and to ensure that palliative care as a policy is represented in all civic policies (e.g. schools, workplaces, faith groups, and cultural activities) and not solely in health care.


2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 589-591 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa M. Niswander ◽  
Philene Cromwell ◽  
Jeanne Chirico ◽  
Alyssa Gupton ◽  
David N. Korones

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 255-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane Tapp ◽  
Sara Chenacher ◽  
Ngangue Patrice Alain Gérard ◽  
Philippe Bérubé-Mercier ◽  
Celine Gelinas ◽  
...  

Purpose: To review studies pertaining to the reliability and validity of observational pain assessment tools for use with nonverbal patients at the end-of-life, a field of research not documented by previous systematic reviews. Methods: Databases (PubMed, Embase, Epistemonikos, the Cochrane Library, and CINAHL) were systematically searched for studies from study inception to February 21, 2016 (update in May 9, 2018). Two independent reviewers screened study titles, abstracts, and full texts according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Disagreements were resolved through consensus. Reviewers also extracted the psychometrics properties of studies of observational pain assessment instruments dedicated to a noncommunicative population in palliative care or at the end-of-life. A comprehensive quality assessment was conducted using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) to derive poor, fair, good or excellent ratings for the psychometric tests reported in each study. Results: Four studies linked to 4 different tools met the inclusion criteria. Study populations included dementia, palliative care and severe illness in the context of intensive care. All the studies included in this review obtained poor COSMIN ratings overall. Conclusions: At this point, it is impossible to recommend any of the tools evaluated given the low number and quality of the studies. Other analyses and studies need to be conducted to develop, adapt, or further validate observational pain instruments for the end-of-life population, regardless of the disease.


CJEM ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (S1) ◽  
pp. S123-S123 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.J. Turner

Introduction: Emergency Physicians (EPs) face growing numbers of palliative care patients presenting to the emergency department (ED). Formal training for EM residents across Canada in this area is not well described. We sought to describe the training Canadian emergency medicine (EM) residents receive in end of life care issues, their attitudes toward it, self-reported knowledge and skills, and the importance they place on further training in this domain. Methods: We conducted an electronic survey across Canada. We collected demographic data, previous education in palliative care, attitudes toward end of life care, and a self-assessment of competency and desires for further training in the main components of palliative care pertinent to EM. We used simple descriptive statistics, a Mann-Whitney test to assess whether previous formal training in palliative care affected current comfort level, and a combination of self-reported knowledge and importance levels placed on key areas. Results: We received 112 responses from 17 different Universities in Canada, with 42% from the CCFP training stream, and 58% from the FRCP stream. Fifty-four percent of respondents had not completed a palliative care rotation during residency or fellowship, which was overwhelming accounted for by FRCP residents (13%, vs. 82% among CCFPs). Having completed formal training in palliative care was significantly associated with general comfort in managing terminally ill patients (p<0.0001). Sixty percent of subjects felt a lack of knowledge and skills was their main limiting factor in providing ideal care for terminally ill patients in the ED. The skills deemed highest priority with lowest comfort level among residents included discussing withdrawing and withholding care, prognosticating, pharmacology and other symptom control. Preferred methods of receiving palliative care teaching included simulation, bedside teaching and small groups. Conclusion: The care of acute illness among palliative care patients is substantially underrepresented in the Canadian EM curriculum, particularly for FRCP trainees. Formal training is associated with increased comfort in caring for patients at the end of their life. High yield teaching interventions could be directed toward knowledge of withdrawing, prognosticating and symptom control. Simulation, bedside teaching and small groups are the preferred method for receiving such teaching.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolfgang Schmid

Research in end-of-life care is complex with specific ethical and practical challenges related to epistemology, methodology and recruitment of people approaching the end of life. However, to ensure the provision of high-quality care research efforts need to be aligned with the priorities of patients, their families, and interdisciplinary team members. A more systematic engagement of all three groups in research is needed to promote tailored and appropriate end-of-life care. In this methodological article I propose a conceptual framework for community-based participatory music therapy research in end-of-life care scenarios as one promising strategy to respond to ethical and practical challenges, to handle complexity and advance integration of perspectives. The conceptual framework consists of two thematic clusters i) Participlinarity across contexts, and ii) Community-based participatory music therapy research in end-of-life care scenarios. Though in the early stages of development, the framework addresses issues of educational strategies and continuity of care, and aims to contribute to innovative music therapy research in the future.


BMJ Open ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. e007492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bina Mistry ◽  
Daryl Bainbridge ◽  
Deanna Bryant ◽  
Sue Tan Toyofuku ◽  
Hsien Seow

2013 ◽  
Vol 67 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 43-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donnelle Daly ◽  
Stephen Chavez Matzel

A transdisciplinary team is an essential component of palliative and end-of-life care. This article will demonstrate how to develop a transdisciplinary approach to palliative care, incorporating nursing, social work, spiritual care, and pharmacy in an acute care setting. Objectives included: identifying transdisciplinary roles contributing to care in the acute care setting; defining the palliative care model and mission; identifying patient/ family and institutional needs; and developing palliative care tools. Methods included a needs assessment and the development of assessment tools, an education program, community resources, and a patient satisfaction survey. After 1 year of implementation, the transdisciplinary palliative care team consisted of seven palliative care physicians, two social workers, two chaplains, a pharmacist, and End-of-Life Nursing Consortium (ELNEC) trained nurses. Palomar Health now has a palliative care service with a consistent process for transdisciplinary communication and intervention for adult critical care patients with advanced, chronic illness.


2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 9577-9577
Author(s):  
M. Miyashita ◽  
T. Morita ◽  
K. Sato ◽  
S. Tsuneto ◽  
Y. Shima

9577 Background: The Japan Hospice and Palliative Care Evaluation (J-HOPE) study was conducted in 2007 and 2008. The aim of the study was to evaluate the quality of end-of-life care at regional cancer centers (CCs), inpatient palliative care units (PCUs), and home hospices (HHs) in Japan from the perspective of bereaved family members. Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional mail survey was conducted in 2007 and 2008. The survey was sent to bereaved families 6–18 months after the death of a patient at 56 CCs, 100 PCUs, or 14 HHs. Outcome measures were the good death inventory, the care evaluation scale, and overall satisfaction with care. The protocol of this study was approved by the institutional review boards of each participating institution. Results: Of the 13,181 bereaved family members that received the survey, 8,163 (62%) participants returned their responses. Among bereaved family members, significantly fewer responded that patients were free from physical distress at CCs (50%) than PCUs (80%) and HHs (73%) (P<0.0001). Significantly fewer patients trusted the physicians at CCs (79%) when compared with PCUs (83%) and HHs (88%) (P<0.0001). Significantly fewer patients were valued as people at CCs (83%) than PCUs (93%) and HHs (95%) (P<0.0001). In addition, significantly fewer participants felt physicians should have worked to improve the patients' symptoms more quickly at CCs (55%) when compared with PCUs (78%) and HHs (77%) (P<0.0001). Significantly fewer participants felt nurse should improve their knowledge and skills regarding end-of-life care at CCs (51%) when compared with PCUs (76%) and HHs (78%) (P<0.0001). A total of 51% of participants reported that nurses should improve their knowledge and skills regarding end-of-life care. Finally, significantly fewer participants were satisfied with the end-of-life care provided by CCs (80%) when compared with PCUs (93%) and HHs (94%) (P<0.0001). Conclusions: Overall, the bereaved family members appreciated the end-of-life care provided by CCs, PCUs, and HHs in Japan. However, in some situations, the quality of end-of-life care provided by CCs was lower than that provided by PCUs and HHs. No significant financial relationships to disclose.


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