Members celebrating National Palliative Care Week in May

University of Technology Sydney

Professor Miriam Johnson, Director of Wolfson Palliative Care Research, University of Hull, United Kingdom gave a National Palliative Care Week presentation to staff, students and colleagues at the Centre for Improving Palliative, Aged and Chronic Care through Clinical Research Translation (IMPACCT) at University of Technology Sydney. Miriam explored the topic of “Palliative Care and Heart Failure – an ongoing injustice”, providing insights into: The need; Does palliative care make a difference? And how are we doing at finding solutions and tackling the issue of uncertainty head on.

The presentation was well attended and after more than 2 years of distance between partners in the UK due to COVID travel restrictions, the 1:1 interaction was welcomed to discuss this important issue.

Source: Vanessa Moore from UTS

Thank you Vanessa!

Bowral & District Hospital

Bowral District Hospital CNS Palliative care provided a “wandering” National Palliative Care Week Trolley which was a point of opportunity to stop and inform staff from all departments that it was National Palliative Care Week.

Countless lovely freebies including seeds, pens and bags alongside a couple of information sheets were provided with both the Palliative Care Australia definition and also the ACI End of Life and palliative care flyer for clinicians.

Many activities were held to raise awareness and spread information.

Large posters were placed in the hospital foyer and on the 2 inpatient wards and education boards and by public lifts.

2 x in-services specific to National Palliative Care week & Q&A attended in IPUG and IPU1 (2 inpatient wards).

Staff were given a small post card to complete for a poster headed “What Palliative Care means to me……………………” following the in-service-staff wrote an individual response on a card (to be made into a poster).

Conversations were held by CNS PC and allied health, pharmacy, ward clerks, hotel services staff whilst wandering with display trolley throughout the hospital wards.

ED in service and introduction to staff on ED huddle of the CNS PC and visiting Medical Palliative Staff Specialist from Camden DR KUAWAHTA – general introduction of supports for ED from CNS2 PC J SPINLEY and DR KUWAHATA

Although only a micro level promotional rounding it promoted an “ad lib” open conversation around what palliative care is and how we can support patients and families in receiving palliative care referrals, both medical and specialist nursing – alongside ALL staff and employees advocating for all patients within BDH for open discussions and bedside palliative care support through to facilitating discharges and links with community palliative care teams by CNS PC for ongoing supports.

Source: Janice Spinley. Clinical Nurse Specialist 2 Palliative Care, Bowral and District Hospital.

Thank you Janice!

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital

An event to mark National Palliative Care week for 2022 was organised at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Aged Care, Palliative Care, Immunology & Infectious Diseases ward

Special palliative care cupcakes were shared to acknowledge the lovely clinicians who work with palliative care patients and promoted palliative care via a photo shoot which everyone enjoyed participating in.

Source and organiser of event: Sandhya Chand, Registered nurse at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Aged Care, Palliative Care, Immunology & Infectious Diseases ward
Thank you Sandhya!