Google Links

Follow the links below to find material targeted to the unit's elements, performance criteria, required skills and knowledge

Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Elements define the essential outcomes
2. Apply principals and aims of a palliative approach when supporting individuals
   • Recognise the holistic needs of the person extending over time, not just end-of-life
   • Support the person, carers and family to express needs and preferences and report information to supervisor
   • Communicate with the person, carers and family in relation to the person’s quality of life, pain and comfort and report information to supervisor
   • Respect the family and carers as an integral part of the care team and ensure that they have the information and support needed
3. Respect the person’s preferences for quality of life choices
   • Create a supportive environment that encourages the person, carers, family members and/or significant others to share information regarding changing needs and preferences
   • Use a non-judgemental approach to ensure the person’s lifestyle, social, spiritual and cultural choices and needs are supported and documented in care plan
   • Encourage the person, carer, family and /or significant others to freely discuss spiritual and cultural issues in an open and safe environment within scope of role
   • Identify needs and issues outside the scope of your role and refer to supervising colleague
   • Communicate with individuals, families, carers and /or significant others in a manner that shows empathy and provides emotional support
4. Follow the person’s advanced care directives in the care plan
   • Interpret and follow advanced care directives in the care plan in line with own work role and organisation, legal and ethical requirements
   • Comply with end-of-life decisions as documented in the care plan and in keeping with legal requirements
   • Report the person’s changing needs and issues, in relation to end-of-life, to the appropriate team member for documentation in the care plan
   • Monitor the impact of the person’s end-of-life needs, issues and decisions on families, carers and /or significant others and refer to appropriate member of the care team in line with organisation protocols to ensure they are supported
   • Deliver services in a manner that supports the right of individuals to choose the location of their end of life care
5. Respond to signs of pain and other symptoms
   • Observe and document the person’s pain and other symptoms in line with care plan directives and promptly report to appropriate member of the care team
   • Implement strategies to manage pain and promote comfort in line with care plan and role
   • Regularly evaluate and document effectiveness of implemented strategies
   • Refer to appropriate member of staff any misconceptions in the workplace surrounding the use of pain relieving medication
6. Follow end-of-life care strategies
   • Regularly check for any changes on care plan that indicate decisions made by the person have been reviewed
   • Provide a supportive environment to the individual, families, carers and /or significant others involved in their care at end-of-life
   • Respect and support the person’s preferences and culture when providing end-of-life care according to care plan and role
   • Maintain dignity of the person when providing planned end-of-life care and care immediately following death
   • Recognise any signs of the person’s imminent death or deterioration and report to appropriate member of care team in line with organisation requirements
   • Provide emotional support to other individuals, carers, families and /or significant others when a death has occurred in line with role
7. Manage own emotional responses and ethical issues
   • Follow organisation policies and procedures in relation to managing own emotional responses and ethical issues
   • Identify and reflect upon own emotional responses to death and dying and raise and discuss any issues or reactions with supervisor or other appropriate person
   • Raise any ethical issues or concerns with supervisor or other appropriate person
   • Identify and action self care strategies to address the potential impact of personal responses on self
   • Access bereavement care and support of other team members as needed
8. Follow the person’s advance care directives in the care plan
   • Interpret and follow advance care directives in the care plan in line with own work role and organisation, legal and ethical requirements
   • Comply with end-of-life decisions as documented in the care plan and in keeping with legal requirements
   • Report the person’s changing needs and issues, in relation to end-of-life, to the appropriate team member for documentation in the care plan
   • Monitor the impact of the person’s end-of-life needs, issues and decisions on families, carers and /or significant others and refer to appropriate member of the care team in line with organisation protocols to ensure they are supported
   • Deliver services in a manner that supports the right of individuals to choose the location of their end of life care
9. Respect the person’s preferences for quality of life choices
   • Create a supportive environment that encourages the person, carers, family members and/or significant others to share information regarding changing needs and preferences
   • Use a non-judgemental approach to ensure the person’s lifestyle, social, spiritual and cultural choices and needs are supported and documented in care plan
   • Encourage the person, carer, family and /or significant others to freely discuss spiritual and cultural issues in an open and safe environment within scope of role
   • Identify needs and issues outside the scope of your role and refer to supervising colleague
   • Communicate with individuals, families, carers and /or significant others in a manner that shows empathy and provides emotional support
10. Follow the person’s advance care directives in the care plan
    • Interpret and follow advance care directives in the care plan in line with own work role and organisation, legal and ethical requirements
    • Comply with end-of-life decisions as documented in the care plan and in keeping with legal requirements
    • Report the person’s changing needs and issues, in relation to end-of-life, to the appropriate team member for documentation in the care plan
    • Monitor the impact of the person’s end-of-life needs, issues and decisions on families, carers and /or significant others and refer to appropriate member of the care team in line with organisation protocols to ensure they are supported
    • Deliver services in a manner that supports the right of individuals to choose the location of their end of life care

Performance Evidence

The candidate must show evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the job role. There must be evidence that the candidate has:

supported, reported and documented issues and needs of 3 people in palliative care

---

Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the work role. This includes knowledge of:

philosophy, principles, benefits and scope of palliative care

the needs of people dealing with a life-threatening or life-limiting illness and the emotional impact of diagnosis

cultural, religious and spiritual differences in relation to death and dying

the stages of grief and personal strategies for managing reactions to grief

advance care directives and end-of-life care strategies

pain relief and comfort promotion

nutritional and hydration requirements during a palliative approach

legal and ethical considerations for working in palliative care, including:

dignity of risk

duty of care

human rights

privacy, confidentiality and disclosure

work role boundaries – responsibilities and limitations

relevant policies, protocols and practices of the organisation in relation to the provision of both a palliative approach and palliative care

responsibilities to self and colleagues

various signs of imminent death and/or deterioration

communication strategies to build trust, show empathy, demonstrate support and empowers the person, family, carers and/or significant others

---