1. 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

2. 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

3. 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)

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. PROGRESS OF PROGRAMME
64 NURSES
64 NURSES

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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