Simulated learning has well known positive effects but its use in palliative care education is limited. A quality improvement project was undertaken at a children's hospice to develop and evaluate simulation workshops. The aim was to increase the…
Children's nurses report feeling unprepared when caring for children with life-limiting conditions and their families, while the value of including service users in the provision of nursing education is increasingly recognised. This small-scale…
BACKGROUND: Children's hospices provide a range of services for babies, children and young people who have a life-limiting or life-threatening condition, including care after death in specialist 'cool bedrooms'. Care after death is a challenging but…
BACKGROUND: Nurses who work with very unwell or dying children may experience intense sorrow and distress in response to loss, which can take an emotional toll on them, potentially affecting care provision. AIM: This study aimed to explore the…
Quality of life is a major consideration in children's palliative care, particularly at the end of life. Optimal symptom management is crucial in maintaining quality of life, with the aim being to ensure the child is as comfortable as possible.…
BACKGROUND: Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) music therapy is an emerging discipline. There is a growing evidence base supporting its use, with an emphasis on the immediate and short-term positive effects on infants' physiological responses and…
In England, a child death review process must be undertaken when a child dies, regardless of the cause of death. Scotland and Wales have their own version of the child death review process, while it is the author's understanding that Northern Ireland…
THE GAP between children's and adult palliative care services is too wide to negotiate for some young people, according to a study of the experiences of young people with life-limiting conditions and their families.
Caring for a dying child and the family is one of the greatest nursing challenges. The way in which care is delivered will shape the experience they are about to face. Hope plays a crucial role in helping people cope, and healthcare professionals can…
This study outlines an innovative, English hospice-based service that provides 24/7 care for children with life-limiting conditions and their families. Operational objectives were: symptom management; open access to families and professionals; choice…
An increasing number of children and young people require end of life care, and providing them and their families with optimum support at this time is crucial. This article describes how nurses working with children and families in home, hospital and…
Siblings of children with life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses can face a number of challenges, yet this is a group that is often unacknowledged as needing specific support. It is essential that the needs of siblings are recognised and…
THE MOVE into adult services can leave young people with life-shortening conditions in Scotland facing an uncertain future, as they leave the comfort of children’s services behind.
AIMS: To elicit the views of children's nurses with regard to the personal, contextual and interprofessional challenges faced when delivering palliative and end of life care to children and young people in the community. METHODS: Semi-structured…
Neonatal nurses regularly face complex legal and ethical dilemmas. This article discusses the hypothetical case of Jack, a two-day-old infant, born at 39 weeks' gestation, and diagnosed with trisomy 13 (syndrome), a life-limiting condition and being…
Children who require palliative care are being 'short changed or ignored', according to a survey of services in England by the charity Together for Short Lives.
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the most common life-limiting genetic conditions. Ellen Bolton (not her real name) is a teenager with one of the rarer presentations of CF. This case study explores the experiences of Ellen and her family. It discusses…
Draft guidelines address regional variations, but there are worries over terminology, the needs of family members and implementation. The death of a child is a comparatively rare event in the UK. Even so, more than 3,000 infant and 2,000 children and…
A good palliative care service is responsive, available to families where they want it, provided round the clock, and co-ordinated by a lead healthcare professional or team. This is the view of one hospice director of care in response to a draft good…
Major announcements were made in all four parts of the UK at the end of last year. All have the potential to improve the way seriously ill children are looked after.
Appropriate respite care for children with life-limiting conditions (LLC) and their families is the cornerstone of high quality paediatric care. The effect of caring for children with LLC on families, including parental needs, cannot be…
Background Studies have documented the experiences of families with seriously ill children, but few have focused on the spiritual needs of families confronted with a child's imminent death.
Ana Todorovic's baby, Nadia, died just before birth. Ana says she received excellent care and was told when 37 weeks pregnant that Nadia was not going to survive for long.
Understanding research priorities in children's palliative care is important for nurses, following the phasing out of the Liverpool Care Pathway, which has led to a change in palliative and end of life care ( Department of Health (DH) 2014 ).…
This article describes the implementation and evaluation of a new partnership between a children's hospice service and an NHS children's community nursing team to support children's palliative care in the community. Aims and outcomes of the service…
The sudden or anticipated death of a child is one of the most challenging and unique experiences that children's nursing students will encounter in practice. There is evidence to suggest that the effect this can have on a practitioner can affect…
