Award-winning nurse who gives patients the best possible journey

Source:  Learning Disability Practice, 2010,13(9) p. 6-7

Date of publication: November 2010

Publication type: Article

In a nutshell:  This article is an interview with Dorothy Matthews about her role as the UK’s only Macmillan nurse who specialises in providing terminal care for people with learning disabilities. How her role came about, her career, and her motivation to specialise in terminal care are discussed. She reflects on the challenges of breaking bad news and obtaining consent in end-of-life care planning, and her end-of-life care guide for learning disability carers is highlighted.

Length of publication: 2 pages

Some important notes: This article is available in full text to all NHS Staff using Athens, for more information about accessing full text follow this link to find your local NHS Library

Acknowledgement:  BNI

End-of-life care: a community perspective

 Source:  Nursing in Practice, 2010, (57) p46-9

Date of publication: December 2010

Publication type:  Article

In a nutshell:  This article expores the issue of caring for children and adults at the end of life in their own homes from a community nursing perspective and makes recommendations about service provision.

Length of publication:  3 pages

Some important notes: This article is available in full text to all NHS Staff using Athens, for more information about accessing full text follow this link  to find your local NHS Library 

Acknowledgement:  BNI

Lincolnshire Rapid Response Service expanded

Source: Marie Curie Delivering Choice News

Follow this link for fulltext.

Date of publication: September 2009

Publication type: Webpage

In a nutshell:

Marie Curie Cancer Care Rapid Response Service which was successfully pilotted in the Boston and South Holland areas of the county has now been expanded to cover the whole of Lincolnshire as part of the Lincolnshire Delivering Choices Programme. The Rapid Response Team provides planned and urgent care visits to patients in their own homes during the out of hours period and 17 new jobs have been created as a result of the expansion. The aim of the service is to enhance patient choice and to accommodate double the previous number of patients choosing to be cared for and die at home.

Acknowledgement: Marie Curie website.

New community nursing role for end-of-life care

Author: Steve Ford

Source: NursingTimes.net

In a nutshell: A new type of community nursing role is due to be rolled out in east Yorkshire from this week. The new role, called a ‘Health and Social Care Assistant’, is to be introduced in Hull to nurse end-of-life care patients in their own homes. There will initially be nine HSCAs with more to follow. There is enough funding for 12 full time equivalents.

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Evaluating last offices care and improving services to newly bereaved relatives

Author: Marika Hills

Source: Nursing Times June 16th 2009 Vol. 105(23) p14-6

In a nutshell: The aftercare of deceased patients and performing last offices are important aspects of nurses’ role. Regularly auditing care provision can identify whether standards are being met and highlight areas in need of development. This articles outlines the background to an audit that was prompted by concerns linked to procedures for last offices. The response to initial audit findings and consequent actions taken to raise awareness and improve services are also discussed.

Notes: Contact your local health library for a copy of this article

RCN to give nurses guidance on discussing assisted dying with patients

Title: RCN to give nurses guidance on discussing assisted dying with patients

Author: David Rose

Source: The Times, May 14 2009

In a nutshell: Nurses are to receive detailed guidance for the first time on how to help terminally ill patients end their own lives. Assisted suicide remains illegal in Britain but the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) says that many nurses are being asked by desperate patients about travelling abroad, such as to the Swiss clinic Dignitas, to end their lives.

Acknowledgements: NHS Evidence – Supportive and palliative care

Palliative Care 1: principles of palliative care nursing and end of life care

Title: Palliative Care 1: principles of palliative care nursing and end of life care

Author: Robert Becker

Source: Nursing Times 2009 Vol.105 No.13 pgs 14-16

In a nutshell: The first in a three part series examining the diversity and challenges inherent in nurses’ contribution to palliative care. The art and science of caring for the dying and their families has long been recognised as an immensely demanding and rewarding part of health and social care. For nurses, it is central to the values and principles that underpin clinical practice.

Contact the library for a copy of this article

Palliative Care 2: exploring the skills that nurses need to deliver high quality care

Title:  Palliative Care 2: exploring the skills that nurses need to deliver high quality care

Author: Robert Becker

Source: Nursing Times 2009 Vol.105 No.14 pgs 18-20

In a nutshell:  The second of this three-part series on palliative care outlines the skills nurses need to deliver effective care and explores the evidence base to support the diverse range of knowledge, attitudes and skills needed to provide nursing care for people at the end of life.

Contact the library for a copy of this article

Palliative Care 3: Using palliative nursing skills in clinical practice

Title: Palliative Care 3: Using palliative nursing skills in practice

Author: Robert Becker

Source: Nursing Times Vol. 105 No. 15 p18-21

Year of Publication: 2009

In a nutshell: This article explores the practice-based reality of using the palliative approach in multiple settings and the challenges in such care.

Acknowledgements: Nursing Times

Contact your health library for a copy of this article