Rebecca was motivated to attend a PEPA placement so as she could improve her communication to patients and families in regards to care trajectories of patients requiring palliative care and end of life care. Rebecca noticed that the placement improved her understanding and that observing conversations about palliative care and symptom management has allowed her to gain more confidence to have the same conversations with patients and families so that she identifies “concerns and provides realistic hope with symptom management”.
Rebecca returned to her workplace and initiated a Link project with staff which was inclusive of other RN’s, ENs and AIN’s within the units. The link team will meet monthly and use the Complete Care Phase Guided framework to discuss patients wellbeing – by using the phase headings of Stable, Deteriorating and Terminal to update care plans for patient care. Evaluation of the effectiveness of this new method of reviewing patient care will be measured through patient and family feedback and after death audits.