Experiences of nursing students providing end of life care for children and young people: A focus group study.

BACKGROUND: End of life care for Children and Young People (CYP) is known to be an emotive area of practice. Previous studies involving qualified nurses have demonstrated that nurses feel they need more end-of-life care education, as well as a platform for sharing experiences and discussing them with others. Evidence relating to nursing students remains limited despite being widely acknowledged as a difficult aspect of nursing education. AIMS: This study aims to help improve understanding of the lived experiences of children's nursing students who have cared for a patient at, during, or immediately following end-of-life. The study describes the emotions experienced by children's nursing students and explores the student nurses' perceptions of education and support needs around caring for CYP during end-of-life care. METHODOLOGY: A qualitative inquiry methodology allowed for a pragmatic approach to design this focus group study. Nine undergraduate student children's nurses participated in two focus groups. Ethical approval was granted by the host university. Thematic data analysis using Braun and Clarke's (2019) thematic analysis was conducted. FINDINGS: Six themes emerged from the data; Emotional practice (1), the heart of the care (2), a lasting impact (3), hierarchy of grief (4), experience, knowledge and understanding (5), and the value of support (6). End of life care for children and young people is recognised by students as a sad but important part of the job role, which can have a lasting impact and which students required improved education and support for. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Improved education on end-of-life care is required. This should be introduced early, encompassing practical approaches to the varied nature of end-of-life care, normalising a range of emotions and delayed responses. Furthermore, improved support is required for both student nurses and qualified staff, who are supporting students caring for CYP at the end of life.

Continuing professional development: evaluating a masterclass for band 5 children's nurses.

BACKGROUND: Continuing professional development (CPD) is an important factor in being able to recruit and retain staff. However, it is recognised that budget constraints make offering CPD difficult, and it often falls to local NHS organisations and higher education providers to develop CPD initiatives that are fit for purpose. AIM: To evaluate the impact of a CPD masterclass on band 5 children's nurses. METHOD: Fourteen band 5 children's nurses attended a CPD masterclass delivered as a series of workshops over one day. Participants completed questionnaires before, at the end of, and three months after the masterclass. The pre-masterclass and three-month follow-up questionnaires included the short version of the Occupational Self-Efficacy Scale. FINDINGS: After the masterclass, all participants had a plan (or a partial plan) for their career development, compared with 79% before it. Participants felt more confident at handling challenging situations at work after the masterclass. Participants appreciated the opportunity to focus on their CPD needs and discuss them with colleagues. CONCLUSION: Time for CPD, career development opportunities, workplace culture, learning and development, and confidence are all important factors to consider when developing CPD opportunities for band 5 children's nurses.

Involving young people in health service delivery.

Young people are entitled to be involved in decisions about their health care, yet many are not engaged in any meaningful way. This article outlines the approach taken by Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and partners to implement quality criteria for young people-friendly health services. It describes the opportunities and challenges of actively involving young people in their care. Several approaches that have been applied in diverse healthcare settings are illustrated. Recommendations on how to engage young people are provided from the authors' experiences.