News

A new e-learning resource has been developed to assist people working in end-of-life care to enhance their communication skills in challenging conversations with patients and families facing a life-limiting illness.

Palliative Care NSW is pleased to have partnered with the Palliative & End-of-Life Care projects team at South Eastern Sydney LHD to host this important e-learning resource.

It has been created by Dr Amy Waters, Staff Specialist Palliative Medicine and Sue Morris, Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Educator at St George Hospital, Kogarah using funding from the NSW Ministry of Health through the NSW Health Palliative Care Education and Training Program, supporting the workforce to enhance knowledge and skills in palliative care.

“By providing open access to this online module, our goal is to further support anyone working in health and aged care to have the confidence to communicate compassionately and effectively with patients and families facing a life-limiting illness.” says Kirsty Blades, CEO Palliative Care NSW.

“What I really like about this e-learning resource is that it focuses in on four key skills and presents them in an engaging and interactive way with illustrations and videos. Once you have completed the module you will also receive a certificate of completion”.

Conversations about life-limiting illness and end of life care are challenging. They can involve intense emotion, which we may feel under-equipped to deal with. Talking to an emotional patient or family member can bring on our own emotional reactions. Discussing end of life issues can be confronting for us as well as our patients. The skills covered in this e-learning course will help you navigate these difficult conversations effectively and efficiently.

While this resource has been designed for nurses anyone working in end-of-life care, including volunteers, would find it of benefit. The learnings can not only be used in conversations around life-limiting illness but also in other challenging conversations we may come across in our daily lives.

Good communication is essential for effective, compassionate and patient-centred care. This module covers four key communication skills that can be used in a range of challenging interactions and should take 30-60 minutes to complete.

To complete this module please click HERE.