TAKING ICP FORWARD WITH THE PALLIATIVE LINK NURSE PROGRAMME SPECIALIST PALLIATIVE CARE TEAM CARDIFF AND VALE NHS TRUST YMDDIRIEDOLAETH GIG CAERDYDD A’R FRO CHRISTINE WHEELER PALLIATIVE CNS

PALLIATIVE LINK NURSE PROGRAMME COMMENCED APRIL 2007 TO SUSTAIN AND MONITOR USE OF ICP IN THE LARGEST TRUST IN WALES AIMED AT INDIVIDUAL LINK NURSE FROM EACH WARD AREA OFFERED TO 48 WARD AREAS TO DATE INVOLVES 7 HOSPITALS 64 NURSES HAVE COMMENCED THE PROGRAMME

PROFILE OF LINK NURSES EXPERIENCE IN NURSING RANGES FROM 2.5 TO 32YEARS ALL 22 NURSES EXPRESS INTEREST IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT PALLIATIVE CARE (2 WANT A CAREER IN PALLIATIVE CARE) NURSES HAVE EXPERIENCE FROM A VARIETY OF CLINICAL AREAS (ONLY 4 NURSES MENTION PALLIATIVE/ONCOLOGY AREAS) 3 NURSES HAVE ATTENDED A FORMAL CANCER/PALLIATIVE COURSE (BASED ON SAMPLE OF 22 LINK NURSES)

THIS ROLLING PROGRAMME OF 4 WORKSHOPS WAS DEVELOPED BY IDENTIFYING THE PALLIATIVE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF THE LINK NURSES WORKSHOP 1: INTEGRATED CARE PATHWAY FOR THE LAST DAYS OF LIFE WORKSHOP 2: COMMUNICATION ISSUES WORKSHOP 3: SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP 4: RAPID DISCHARGE

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF WORKSHOPS TO MONITOR ISSUES RELATED TO ICP IN CLINICAL AREAS TO ENCOURAGE TWO WAY COMMUNICATION TO CONTRIBUTE AND SHARE EXPERIENCES IN GROUP WORK TO PROVOKE THOUGHT AND PROMOTE DISCUSSION TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPANTS TO FIND OUT MORE AND MOTIVATE TO STUDY FURTHER TO RAISE PROFILE OF PALLIATIVE CARE IN THE TRUST

BARRIERS TO IMPLEMENTING PROGRAMME LINK NURSES NEEDED FOR MULTIPLE SPECIALITIES WARD MANAGERS NOT BEING ABLE TO RELEASE NURSES FOR THE WORKSHOPS CLINICAL WORK AND STAFF ISSUES VERSUS EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT QUESTIONS OF ACTUAL BENEFIT TO CLINICAL AREAS NO BUDGET FOR THIS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME

PROGRESS OF PROGRAMME 64 NURSES 64 NURSES

EVALUATIONS OF WORKSHOPS MORE THAN 170 WRITTEN EVALUATIONS RECEIVED FROM NURSES WHICH CAN BE GROUPED INTO COMMON THEMES:- CONFIDENCE BUILDING APPLICABLE TO CLINICAL SETTING INFORMATIVE AND THOUGHT PROVOKING RELEVANT AND USEFUL GOOD INTERACTION

WHAT NEXT FOR THE LINK NURSE PROGRAMME? NEED TO MAINTAIN THE ‘LINK WITH THE LINK NURSE’ COMMUNICATION CONTINUE TO FORMALISE THE LINK NURSE’S ROLE IN RELATION TO THE ICP IN THEIR AREA USE LINK NURSE FOR FEEDBACK AND HELP WITH AUDIT OF ICP OTHER NURSES ON WARD TO PARTICIPATE IN ROLLING PROGRAMME

THE FUTURE FOR THE PROGRAMME? COULD ANY OF THESE LINK NURSES POTENTIALLY BE THE FUTURE PALLIATIVE CARE CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALISTS? AIM FOR 2 LINK NURSES EACH YEAR TO JOIN THE TEAM ON SECONDMENT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AIM TO SECURE FUNDING TO PROVIDE BANK/AGENCY NURSE COVER FOR THE WARD IN ORDER FOR THE NURSES TO BE RELEASED