Unit of competency
Modification History
Release 1. HLTENN068 Provide end of life care using a palliative approach in nursing practice. New unit. No equivalent unit.
Application
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to provide a person-centred approach to palliative and end of life care in primary health care, hospitals, hospices, home and community care, and long-term care facilities.
This unit applies to enrolled nursing work carried out in consultation and collaboration with registered nurses, and under supervisory arrangements aligned to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) regulatory authority legislative requirements.
The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State/Territory legislation, Australian Standards and industry codes of practice.
No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Pre-requisite Unit
Nil
Competency Field
Enrolled Nursing
Unit Sector
Nursing
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENTS |
PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements describe the essential outcomes |
Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Identify and apply palliative approach to care. |
1.1. Undertake assessments using palliative principles and approach. 1.2. Apply pathophysiological changes associated with a life-limiting illness. 1.3. Assess pain management and implement strategies to address pain. 1.4. Assess preferences for symptom management and quality of life. 1.5. Reflect on lifestyle choices to formulate and implement the plan of care. 1.6. Identify and work within roles and responsibilities of the multidisciplinary health care team when planning palliative care. |
2. Support families and carers using palliative care approach. |
2.1. Identify and apply the advanced care plan and directive. 2.2. Provide the families and carers with opportunities to confirm spiritual and cultural issues. 2.3. Apply communication techniques when accessing support services. 2.4. Monitor condition and provide accurate and timely information that respects the families and carers’ wishes. |
3. Identify needs of a person requiring end of life care. |
3.1. Provide nursing care by applying a palliative approach and culturally sensitive end of life care. 3.2. Provide symptom management including goals of care, education, psychological and spiritual support. 3.3. Identify end of life care needs for those with cognitive decline and mental health impairment. |
4. Identify and respond to signs of deterioration and the stages of dying. |
4.1. Support the person, families and carers throughout the end of life phase. 4.2. Identify physiological signs and symptoms of dying and report signs of deterioration and implement the person’s wishes as per the plan of care. 4.3. Support the dignity of the person when undertaking care activities in their end of life stages. 4.4. Identify and respond to legal and ethical issues with deterioration and stages of dying. |
5. Provide care after death. |
5.1. Determine extinction of life and acknowledge bereavement support. 5.2. Ensure after death care is carried out with dignity and respect, and that individual customs, culture, religion, spiritual practices and choices are taken into account. 5.3. Provide care of the body after death using standard precautions. |
6. Recognise and reflect on own emotional self-care. |
6.1. Identify and reflect on own need for self-care. 6.2. Identify and implement ways to sustain own social and emotional wellbeing. 6.3. Encourage self and colleagues to access support and participate in professional debriefing. |
Foundation Skills
Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.
Unit Mapping Information
No equivalent unit.
Links
Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=ced1390f-48d9-4ab0-bd50-b015e5485705