Role of Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialist Sheila McConville Community Specialist Palliative Care Nurse Southern Health and Social Care Trust

Role of Palliative Care CNS  Key aspects  Benefits  Challenges

Key Aspects of Role  Provide expert specialist palliative care to patients / families with complex needs  Service improvement  Consultations with other multi-disciplinary health professionals  Multi-professional education

Service Initiatives within SHSCT  Development of nurse-led clinics  Review of documentation  Clinical Buddying programme

Benefits of Role  Expert service to provide good palliation to greater range of patients / families  Avoidance of hospital admission  Facilitating early discharge  Facilitating patient’s choice to die in preferred place of care  Patient’s choice about services

Challenges of Role  Increasing referrals to service  Deliver on palliative care service improvement agenda to all  Increased expectations of service  Personal development  Emotionally demanding  Getting it all done!!!

Conclusion  Continue to provide clinical expertise to patients, families and other professionals  Embrace on-going service improvements  Build on development of nurse-led clinics  Provide on-going education programmes