Mrs Sarah Begley1
1Eastern Palliative Care, Melbourne, Australia
Biography:
Sarah is a Clinical Educator at Eastern Palliative Care and current committee member of the Palliative Care Nurses Australia (PCNA) and brings extensive experience in community palliative care across rural, regional, and metropolitan areas nationwide. In 2023, Sarah pioneered the EPC Foundations Program, a three-week initiative focused on up-skilling nurses for community palliative care roles.
Abstract:
Background: The transition from hospital-based nursing to community palliative settings poses significant challenges, requiring independent assessment skills, heightened autonomy, clear boundary setting, and environmental awareness. Addressing the logical challenges faced in training nurses for independent community work, Eastern Palliative Care has introduced simulated home visits, leveraging volunteer actors portraying patients.
Aims: The primary objective of simulated home visits is to establish a secure environment for new palliative care professionals to practice acquired skills, enabling immediate feedback and subsequent refinement with actors. Participants receive pre- and post-course feedback through an observational assessment form, enabling a visible track of their growth and development.
Methods: Within the EPC Foundations' three-week intensive course, three days are dedicated to simulated home visits. Internal participants also undergo a pre-course home visit assessment. Pre-selected volunteer actors, briefed via Zoom, simulate patient scenarios with unique challenges, such as delirium, family conflict, pain, or nausea. Each home visit involves one observer, one to two actors, and one learner. Observers use an assessment tool based on an ideal home visit, providing real-time feedback. Learners can seek help, feedback, or retry phrases at any point.
Results: Feedback from simulated home visits underscores its utility as a valuable learning tool. Participants find it both validating and challenging in a safe, encouraging environment. This method affords a dedicated space for practical application of course learnings, offering honest, real-time feedback for constructive improvement. Volunteer feedback reflects enjoyment and increased insight into community palliative care work.
Conclusions: By sharing this teaching method, we hope to encourage its adoption by other palliative care services. Simulated home visits prove to be an effective means of bridging the gap between theoretical learning and real-world application, facilitating a smoother transition for new community palliative care nurses.