Community Nursing Palliative Care Procedure

Summary 

This procedure will provide a process from registration of a new client, assessment tools, monitoring tools and end of life pathway tool and bereavement follow up for the generalist community health nurses. It will provide Generalist Community Nurses and Palliative Care Nurses with a structured format and standardised processes and tools to use when assessing palliative care clients.

Aim 

To provide a standard pathway and consistent approach for all clients requiring palliative care services in Community Health in the Tweed Byron Health Service Group (TBHSG).

Benefits 

• The use of standardised documentation when assessing clients requiring palliative care 
• Ensures a consistent approach to the process by using uniform terminology and objective data collection
• Allows appropriate goals to be set based on accurate assessment data
• Facilitates accurate communication between health personnel
• Meets the legal requirements of health documentation

Project Status

Pre-implementation: A working party has commenced consultation with key stakeholders and clinicians with face to face discussions.

Background

There has not been a framework or clinical pathway for generalist community health nurses in the TBHSG.

A variety of tools are used in Tweed, Murwillumbah and Bangalow Community Health, however there is no end of life tool currently in use and no formal evaluation of the local data and processes of TBHSG Community Palliative Care service.

Contact

Christopher Barron
Nursing Unit Manager
Byron Shire Community Nursing
Northern NSW Local Health District
Phone: 02 6687 0000
christopher.barron@ncahs.health.nsw.gov.au