gms | German Medical Science

G-I-N Conference 2012

Guidelines International Network

22.08 - 25.08.2012, Berlin

Translation of multidisciplinairy, palliative care guidelines to discipline specific guidelines for certified nurse assistents

Meeting Abstract

  • M. J. Uitdehaag - Comprehensive Cancer Center The Netherlands (CCC NL), Utrecht, The Netherlands
  • J. Zuidema - Comprehensive Cancer Center The Netherlands (CCC NL), Utrecht, The Netherlands
  • B. E. M. Frohleke - Comprehensive Cancer Center The Netherlands (CCC NL), Utrecht, The Netherlands
  • M. de Jong - Aveant home care, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Regional Education Center The Mid Netherlands, Utrecht, The Netherlands
  • M. van Rooyen - Regional Education Center The Mid Netherlands, Utrecht, The Netherlands
  • J. Joosten - Comprehensive Cancer Center The Netherlands (CCC NL), Utrecht, The Netherlands; Hospice Tiel - Care Center Rivierenland, Tiel, The Netherlands
  • S. Kersten - Comprehensive Cancer Center The Netherlands (CCC NL), Utrecht, The Netherlands

Guidelines International Network. G-I-N Conference 2012. Berlin, 22.-25.08.2012. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2012. DocP171

doi: 10.3205/12gin283, urn:nbn:de:0183-12gin2830

Published: July 10, 2012

© 2012 Uitdehaag et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.


Outline

Text

Background: In December 2010 our guideline developing department has published 40 new or revised, national, multidisciplinary guidelines for palliative care. Unfortunately, these guidelines are rarely used by certified nurse assistants (CNA). Whereas these professionals are important palliative care providers within care settings in which two-third of the patients died.

Context: Treatment in the palliative phase aims to improve the quality of life of patients and their family, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of timely identification and treatment of all problems. CNA's are closely involved in caring for these patients, therefore they have a main role in this early identification.

Description of best practice: We have developed a method that supports CNA’s in early identification of problems and needs of patients and their relatives in the palliative phase. The toolbox was tested on utility during a national conference on palliative care and tested on applicability in a hospice and home care organization. The box contains: 1) A roadmap to work systematically, 2) Identification cards for the ten most common symptoms, based on the national guidelines, 3) Background information on care problems, and 4) Worksheets that support the practical implementation of above products and the communication with other disciplines.

Lessons for guideline developers, adaptors, implementers, and/or users: For the implementation of multidisciplinary guidelines, it is important to modify knowledge to practice based tools applicable for different disciplines.