Tools for Nurses in Palliative Care

The following forms, checklists and tools have been developed or reproduced by CareSearch/palliAGED to assist you in providing palliative care. These may be downloaded for free.

Assessment

• Interactive SPICT Tool (571kb pdf)
• Interactive SPICT-4ALL Tool (571kb pdf)
• Needs Assessment Tool for Carers of people with a Chronic Condition (NAT-CC) form (343kb pdf)
• Needs Assessment Tool for Carers of People with Advanced Cancer (NAT-C) (342kb pdf)

Planning care

• Communication Starters for difficult conversations (159kb pdf)
• The palliAGEDnurse app
• The palliAGED case conference forms:
  • • Using the palliAGED conference forms (42kb pdf)
    • Case conference checklist – Home care (410kb pdf)
    • Case conference checklist – Residential care (404kb pdf)
    • Invitation to attend a case conference – GPs (191kb pdf)
    • Confirmation of a case conference – GPs (173kb pdf)
  • Information for you and your family – What is palliative care and why do you need a case conference (151kb pdf)
  • Invitation for you and your family (193kb pdf)
  • Confirmation for you and your family (183kb pdf)
  • Staff Communication Sheet (149kb pdf)
  • Palliative care case conference summary – Home care (231kb pdf)
  • Palliative care case conference summary – Residential care (231kb pdf)

Clinical decisions

• Abbey Pain scale (240kb pdf)
• Delirium – Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) Tool (1.98MB pdf)

The dying patient

• Checklist for a home death (237kb pdf)
• Medicines for terminal care from the PBS Prescriber bag (96kb pdf)

Supporting families

• What is palliative care? (221kb pdf)
• Palliative care support for patients, carers, and families (4.45MB pdf)
• Emergency Contact List (108kb pdf)
• Medicines List (116kb pdf)
• Information about case conferences and palliative care (168kb pdf)
• Self-care for carers (206kb pdf)
• Break through pain medication diary (1.76MB pdf)
• Interactive SPICT-4ALL tool (571kb pdf)

Remuneration

• MBS items supporting nurse practitioner palliative care provision (171kb pdf)
• Remuneration for community pharmacists (102kb pdf)

To share with interdisciplinary team members as appropriate

• MBS items supporting GP palliative care provision in primary care (406kb pdf)
• MBS items supporting GP palliative care provision in residential aged care (318kb pdf)
• MBS items supporting allied health professional palliative care provision (175kb pdf)
• Dose Administration Aid Suitability Check – for Pharmacists (117kb pdf)
• Checklist for a Home Death (237kb pdf)

Journals

There is an increasing number of papers relevant to palliative care being published in more diverse journals.

Getting access to journals is not always easy. Some organisations or workplaces have subscriptions, with access via hard copy or via electronic access. Nurses who are studying at university will have access via the library there. University and Hospital librarians are a great resource and can help with searching for articles.

These journals have particular relevance for palliative care nursing:

• International Journal of Palliative Nursing (UK)
• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing (US)

CareSearch has a list of Specialist Palliative Care Journals

Websites

Websites are a great source for information and resources. However, before accessing information on a website it is important to check the quality and authority with which the information is provided. Remember also that the context of care will differ from country to country.

• Palliative Care Nurses Australia (PCNA)
• Marie Curie (UK)
• Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA) (US)