End-of-life care for children: making it possible to die at home

A children's community nursing team collaborated with an adult palliative care urgent-response service to provide 24-hour care. This initiative won the Children's Services category in the 2023 Nursing Times Awards.

Abstract

A children’s community nursing team collaborated with an adult palliative care urgent-response service to provide 24-hour end-of-life care for paediatric patients. This made dying at home a realistic option for these patients, which had not previously been the case. Parents reported that they appreciated having this choice, along with the support and person-centred care. Collaboration and reflection improved staff skills and knowledge, leading many adult-trained nurses to undertake additional training.

Citation: Davies J (2024) End-of-life care for children: making it possible to die at home. Nursing Times [online]; 120: 2.

Author: Jill Davies is palliative care clinical lead, DHU Healthcare.