An instrument to assess nurses' and care assistants' self-efficacy to provide a palliative approach to older people in residential aged care: a validation study

Objective

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the ‘Palliative care self-efficacy scale’, an instrument designed to assess clinicians’ degree of confidence in engaging in patient and family interactions at the end-of-life.

Design

The instrument was administered to 405 aged care professionals employed in nine aged care facilities. Exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency statistics were undertaken.

Results

A two-factor solution of the ‘Palliative care self-efficacy scale’ was extracted with factor loadings above the 0.4 cutoff. Cronbach's alpha of the scale and subscales ranged from 0.87 to 0.92. The ‘Palliative care self-efficacy scale’ demonstrates good validity and reliability.

Conclusions

The ‘Palliative care self-efficacy scale’ can be a useful tool in assessing and monitoring clinicians’ perceived capacity to provide a palliative approach. Further evaluation in other samples and settings is required.     

The effects of hearing loss on person-centred care in residential aged care: a narrative review

Person-centred care is achieved through strategies such as effective communication and shared decision-making. Hearing loss can lead to communication breakdown and social isolation in residential aged care. The review aimed to address how hearing loss affects person-centred care in residential aged care settings. Empirical literature was identified through a systematic search of academic databases. Articles were reviewed against an inclusion criteria and general inductive analysis was employed to identify recurring factors across included studies. Six common factors emerged from the data: communication breakdown, the overlap between hearing loss and cognitive impairment, social isolation and reduced social participation, limited access to hearing services, inadequate training provided to care staff, and strategies to improve communication. Recommended strategies to facilitate person-centred care for residents with hearing loss are presented. Further investigation is needed to understand the effects of hearing loss on residents' autonomy and shared decision-making.     

A study of nurses' knowledge of a palliative approach in residential aged care facilities

Aim. To identify residential aged care nurses’ current knowledge of palliative care for older residents in need of end‐of‐life care. Background. Recently, there has been a growing interest in the delivery of palliative care in residential aged care facilities. While it is recognized that aged care nurses do possess palliative care knowledge the actual level of their knowledge has not been well documented. Design/method. An analytical study using a validated questionnaire tool – Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing, developed by Ross et al. [Journal of Advanced Nursing 23 (1996) 126–137] , combined with a demographic survey of Registered Nurses and assistants in nursing working in five high care residential aged care facilities in inner city region of Sydney, Australia. Results. The total Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing score possible was 20. The mean score for Registered Nurses was 11.7 (SD 3.1) and for AINs 5.8 (SD 3.3), the difference between scores being significant (t = 8.7, df 95, P = 0.000). Misconceptions in palliative care were identified for both the groups of carers. Conclusion. This research has highlighted the need for ongoing palliative care education for both the groups of primary carers. Relevance to clinical practice. The findings of this research highlight the existing palliative care knowledge of residential aged care nurses and provides evidence for education programmes.     

Access to food choices by older people in residential aged care: An integrative review

Background

There is increasing concern regarding autonomy and quality of life for older people living in residential aged care. Failure to provide food choices and suitable dining environments has been reported to negatively impact their nutritional status, undermining their sense of autonomy and quality of life.

The palliative care clinical nurse consultant: An essential link

This study describes the role of acute hospital palliative care nurse consultants and makes recommendations about future directions for the role development of this role. While the palliative care nurse consultant role is accepted in the acute setting there is little evidence or literature about what contributes to the success of this role. A three-phase study was undertaken to describe the role of palliative care nurse consultants in acute hospitals in Melbourne, Australia. The first phase of the three-phase study, involving in-depth qualitative interviews with the palliative care nurse consultants, is reported in this article. Using open-ended semi-structured questions, 10 palliative care nurse consultants were interviewed using open-ended questions about aspects of their role and the interviews were thematically analysed. Four main themes were identified that clarified the role; being the internal link; being the lynch pin; being responsive and being challenged. The palliative care nurse consultants were the first point of introduction to palliative care and thus they saw a significant role in introducing the concept of palliative care to those requiring palliative care, their families and others. They are an important link between the settings of care required by people accessing palliative care—acute, in-patient palliative care and community care. The palliative care nurse consultants saw themselves in leadership positions that in some ways defy boundaries, because of the inherent complexity and diversity of the role. The palliative care nurse consultants’ role appears to be pivotal in providing expert advice to staff and people requiring palliative care, and connecting palliative care services both within the hospital and to external services.     

The content and effects of palliative care courses for nurses: a literature review

OBJECTIVES: The present literature review describes the literature (1990-2005) that concerns the effects of courses in palliative care at the pre- and postgraduate levels. DATA SOURCES: A search was made for literature from the period between 1990 and 2005 using CINAHL, Pubmed and Psychlit, supplemented with a search for relevant systematic reviews from the Cochrane Library. DESIGN: The research questions were directed on the areas of expertise and skills, the didactical methods, the effects of the courses and the standards to measure these effects. RESULTS: The studies were all focused on general palliative care. Out of 27 studies 21 reported positive effects for communication, attitude, empathy and pain. Six of these 21 positive trails were studies with good quality designs, whereas 15 had moderate designs. The six studies with a lack of effects was one study with good quality and five studies with moderate quality designs. The effects on patients were described in only a few cases. There was still frequent use of self-constructed rating scales, where data about validity and reliability were lacking or where these aspects were not studied. CONCLUSIONS: The most successful were integrated courses focused on several themes with a variety of didactical methods.     

The national agenda for quality palliative care: the National Consensus Project and the National Quality Forum

The release in 2007 of the National Quality Forum (NQF) preferred practices is a significant advance in the field of palliative care. These NQF preferred practices build on the clinical practice guidelines for palliative care developed by the National Consensus Project (NCP). The NQF is dedicated to improving the quality of American health care, and their focus on palliative care recognizes its growing place within the broader scope of health care. This article reviews the work of both the NCP and NQF and presents the domains and preferred practices that should guide quality improvement efforts in hospice and palliative care.     

姑息护理的发展现状与思考

阐述了姑息护理的内涵和开展模式,回顾目前发展现状,提出了开展死亡教育课程、发展姑息护理教育、建立姑息护理质量标准体系、政策上支持姑息护理的发展等建议。     

姑息护理的发展现状与思考

阐述了姑息护理的内涵和开展模式，回顾目前发展现状，提出了开展死亡教育课程、发展姑息护理教育、建立姑息护理质量标准体系、政策上支持姑息护理的发展等建议。     

Medical students do not feel confident in managing palliative care as future doctors

Introduction: All doctors need to have knowledge of the basic principles of palliative care (PC). Hence, in the past decades, there has been an increased attention to medical students’ education in PC. Surprisingly, studies have shown that education in PC at Danish medical schools is below international standards. The aims were to investigate Danish medical students’ self-assessed confidence and opinion on PC education as well as explore association with gender, age, and semester.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study based on an online questionnaire-based survey among medical students at Aarhus University, Denmark.

Results: Of approximately 900 students, 250 responded (28%). Generally, participants reported low confidence in managing PC. Lowest confidence was found regarding conversion from oral to subcutaneous administration of medicine, whereas participants felt more confident in communication related to PC. Male respondents reported higher confidence in managing PC than females. Positive opinions on the relevance of PC education and of implementing more PC education were reported.

Conclusion: This study showed that improvements of PC education at Danish medical schools are pivotal. Danish medical students did not feel confident in managing PC; female students felt less confident than male students. Furthermore, we found positive opinions towards implementing more PC education.     

Bringing palliative care to a Canadian cancer center: the palliative care program at Princess Margaret Hospital

It is increasingly recognized that complete care of the patient with cancer includes palliative care, which is applicable early in the course of illness, in conjunction with life-prolonging treatment. Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) is Canada’s largest center for cancer care and research, and it is an international referral center for patients with cancer. The Palliative Care Program at PMH has developed into a comprehensive clinical, educational, and research program, with an acute palliative care unit, daily palliative care clinics, a cancer pain clinic, and a consultation service that sees urgent consultations on a same-day basis in inpatient and outpatient areas. We will describe the components, successes, and challenges of our program, which may be useful for others, who are developing palliative care programs in an academic setting.     

国内肿瘤患者安宁疗护研究现状的文献计量分析

目的了解国内肿瘤患者安宁疗护研究现状,探索近年来其发展趋势和研究关注点。方法收集中国期刊全文数据库(CNKI)及万方学术论文数据库,自建立数据库至2020年6月刊发有关肿瘤患者安宁疗护方面的文献,对获取文献,按照年限、发文期刊、地域分布、研究类型、研究切入点、评价指标、安宁疗护模式等进行计量学分析。结果纳入1347篇文献,分布于221种期刊,发文量前3位省份依次是江苏、四川和上海;文献研究类型以类实验性研究类为主;文章数基本呈上升趋势。研究热点集中在肿瘤患者临终关怀、姑息治疗、临终护理、生活质量等;涉及13种安宁疗护模式,涉及的照护模式具有多学科团队雏形;发文量排前10名期刊均未被纳入中国科技核心期刊;涉及的评价指标注重患者的生存质量与心理状况。结论国内肿瘤患者安宁疗护研究的文献发刊篇数越来越多;发文地域也越来越广;研究热点倾向临床研究、多学科团队式照护,但还存在核心期刊发文量少,研究深度、科学性及实操性有待提升,需要推进安宁医保政策在不同层级医院,社区一体化转诊,最后完善相关实际安宁培训课程、住院及管理模式,以达到安宁疗护持续、有质量、个性化的发展。     

Pediatric palliative care: a conceptual analysis for pediatric nursing practice

Although there have been significant advances in medical technology, thousands of children continue to die annually. Pediatric palliative care is a relatively new field and has not been well defined in the literature. Therefore, the purposes of this article were to provide a concept analysis of pediatric palliative care that presents pediatric nurses with fundamental information regarding this concept and to increase their ability to understand, identify, provide, and subsequently meet and enhance the needs of those children with a life-limiting illness and their families. With this enhanced understanding of pediatric palliative care, pediatric nurses will continue to improve and provide quality, safe nursing care for this vulnerable population of children with life-limiting illnesses.     

Changes in medical and nursing care in cancer patients transferred from a palliative care team to a palliative care unit

The primary aim of this study was to explore the changes in medical/nursing care in patients who transferred from a palliative care team (PCT) to a palliative care unit (PCU) in the same hospital, and to explore the reasons why new or modified interventions were required. This was a retrospective study of 50 consecutive patients who were transferred from PCT to PCU in a 750-bed general hospital. A trained nurse performed a chart review and recorded the changes in 1) medical/nursing care, 2) help with decision-making within 48 hours after PCU admission, and 3) documentation of family and psycho-existential care. Group discussions among PCT and PCU staff members explored the potential reasons for the changes. Five patients were excluded due to admission periods of shorter than 48 hours. The number of new/modified medical and nursing care interventions after PCU admission averaged 1.9 ± 1.5 and 1.5 ± 1.3 per patient, respectively. The most common medical treatments were: reduction in hydration volume, dose titration of opioids, change in opioid administration device, opioid rotation, and addition of NSAIDs and steroids. The most common nursing interventions were: allowing patient to take a bath, changing mattress, use of massage, and discontinuation of bronchial suctioning. In addition, PCU staff newly coordinated opportunities to discuss preferred end-of-life care with primary caregivers in 38% of the cases, family members other than primary caregivers in 16%, and patients in 6.7%. The chart documentation of family care and psycho-existential care increased considerably after PCU admission. The chief reasons for these changes were: under-recognition of the problems and unavailability of treatments (pharmacological treatments), no intention to intervene and recommendations not followed by primary physicians (rehydration therapy), no intention to intervene (nursing care), and no intention to intervene and under-recognition of the problems (help with decision-making). These data demonstrate that many patients under PCT consultation receive new or modified interventions after PCU admission. Potentially useful strategies to strengthen the PCT interventions are: modification of intervention structure to minimize under-recognition of symptoms and decision making problems (e.g., use of standardized assessment tools, regular conferences), changes in the health care system to allow unlicensed drugs, clinical studies to clarify the benefits of artificial hydration therapy, and greater efforts to intervene in the areas of nursing care, help with decision making, family care, and psycho-existential care.     

Use of palliative sedation for intractable symptoms in the palliative care unit of a comprehensive cancer center

Background  There is wide variation in the frequency of reported use of palliative sedation (PS) to control intractable and refractory symptoms in terminally ill patients. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and outcomes of PS use and examine patterns of practice after establishment of a policy for the administration of midazolam for PS in our palliative care unit (PCU). Materials and methods  This retrospective study reviewed PCU admissions for 2004 and 2005 and pharmacy records to identify patients who received chlorpromazine, lorazepam, or midazolam for PS in the PCU. Data on indication for PS, drug used, and discharge outcome were assessed for each patient. Results  During the period studied, there were 1,207 PCU admissions. Of these patients, 186 (15%) received PS; and 143 (41%) of the 352 patients who died in the PCU received PS. The median age of PS patients was 58 (range, 20–84) years, and 106 (57%) were male. The most common indications for PS were delirium, 153 cases (82%); dyspnea, 11 (6%); and multiple indications, 12 (6%). Midazolam was used in 18 PS cases (10%). Six (55%) of 11 patients with dyspnea received midazolam for PS, compared with 12 (7%) of 175 patients with other indications for PS (p < 0.001). Forty-three (23%) of 186 PS patients were discharged alive, compared with 812 (80%) of 1,021 patients who did not receive PS (p < 0.001). Conclusions  PS was required in 15% of PCU admissions, and 23% of PS patients were discharged alive. Our findings suggest a potential for significant underreporting of overall PS. If our institution’s policy on midazolam use for PS were less restrictive, midazolam use might increase. More research is needed to define the optimal agent for inducing rapid, effective, and easily reversible PS. These data were presented in part at the Annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology; Atlanta, GA, 2006.     

Depression in palliative care settings: the need for training for nurses and other health professionals to improve patients' pathways to care

Depression is highly prevalent in patients receiving palliative care; however, detection rates are low, with many patients who suffer with depression continuing to go undetected and untreated. A number of factors unique to this setting, as well as issues relating to staff knowledge and self-efficacy working with depression, may impede the detection of patients who are depressed by professional health care staff. Although programmes aimed to train nurses and other allied health staff in depression may be an effective way to improve detection rates, there have been few studies investigating the efficacy of these interventions. This article draws upon recent literature to provide a narrative review of barriers to detection and factors relating to professional palliative care staffs' ability to provide pathways to care for patients who suffer with depression in this setting. Previously evaluated training programmes are reviewed and the argument is made that further development and empirical evaluation of depression training interventions for staff in this setting will provide services with evidence-based methods of training nurses and other professional care staff and improve the pathways to care for patients who suffer with depression.     

The evolution of pediatric critical care nursing: past, present, and future

Although current nursing literature is overflowing with information related to the history of nursing in general, and even pediatric nursing, very little is published about PICU nursing. The evolution of pediatric critical care nursing is presented based on a historical context, the current state, and future projections. More specifically, this treatise focuses on the environment, the patient and family, and of course, the PICU nurse. Concluding remarks provide an insight into how health care reforms and how the use of clinical information technology will affect the role of the pediatric critical care nurse in the future.