Abstract
Retention of staff presents major challenges within children's palliative care; this has substantial implications for children, families and the nursing workforce. To address this, a programme was undertaken that provided pathways of professional development for senior nurses working in this field. This study reports the views of nurses completing this programme, the overall project manager (PM) and the day-to-day programme lead (PL) as well as factors that influence nurse retention within children's palliative care nursing. The study drew on an Appreciative Inquiry approach that comprised of interviews with the PM and PL as well as focus groups and questionnaires with senior nurses from the children's palliative care sector, who participated in the training programme. Thematic analysis of data from interviews and focus groups revealed factors influencing nurse retention: speciality, positivity and making a difference, support, provision of adequate resources, tailored education/professional development and resilience. These themes were supported by the questionnaire findings. The programme was perceived as having a positive influence on nurse retention within the children's palliative care workforce. In addition, it was felt to be very beneficial in terms of shared learning and development. Participants highlighted the need for similar opportunities in the future.
Highlights
Palliative care aims to enhance quality of life for patients, who have life-limiting illnesses, and for their families (World Health Organization, 2020); it is based on a holistic approach which includesJournal of Child Health Care 0(0)areas such as pain management and psychosocial support
All of the nurses commented on the immense value of being part of a group of people who understood the complexities of the children’s palliative care workplace and who were able to meet on a regular basis – this provided the chance to gain support from each other and share experiences
Provision of adequate resources Following the completion of their programme, all of the nurses felt that their ability to peer mentor had increased and it had positively influenced their reflective practice as well as their management skills
Summary
Palliative care aims to enhance quality of life for patients, who have life-limiting illnesses, and for their families (World Health Organization, 2020); it is based on a holistic approach which includesJournal of Child Health Care 0(0)areas such as pain management and psychosocial support. Three top reasons were: working conditions, for example, staffing levels and workload, a change in personal circumstances, such as ill health and/or childcare responsibilities, and disillusionment with care quality provided to patients. In 2016, Together for Short Lives (2017) undertook a survey of nurse vacancies within the UK children’s hospice sector (undertaken because of concerns about the children’s palliative care workforce). This report found that vacancy rates were higher in the children’s hospice sector than other areas of healthcare and that recruitment and retention were becoming more difficult. Together for Short Lives (2017) identified factors that affected recruitment, including workforce issues related to shortages of registered children’s nurses, challenges in matching pay, terms and conditions, geographical locations of inpatient hospice services (giving rise to transport difficulties), shift patterns and challenges in convincing potential applicants to work with children at the end of life
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