QI 1214 Improving Staff Confidence and Competence in Delivering End of Life Care on Acute Dementia Wards (Stanley and Pembleton)

Abstract

Aim: Improve staff's confidence and abilities to care for patients on end-of-life (EOL) pathways. This project ran across Stanley and Pembleton the acute dementia wards. During reflective meetings, staff identified a need around improving confidence in working with people at end of life (EOL). Staff voiced wanting to feel they had done the right thing, despite not being a specialist EOL ward. Staff’s views regarding what they needed to help improve their confidence in working with people at end of life were used to develop training, information and support around the following topics: -Increasing Knowledge and Skills around EOL -MDT Working and a ‘joined up approach’. Providing an appropriate environment and tools to guide interventions (i.e. SOP, pain identification).

Tools Used: Staff discussions and feedback. Questionnaires with quantitative and qualitative responses. QI Driver Diagram - https://aqua.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/qsir-driver-diagrams.pdf.

Staff report feeling more confident in their abilities to care for patients at end of life (EOL). Service level agreement in place: Mary Ann Evans hospice to offer rapid response to support ward with EOL concerns. Staff report feeling better able to access support from services during/following identifying a patient as approaching EOL. Importance of the need for a SOP identified and development has begun.