Terminal care in the community--an evaluation of residential workshops for general practitioner/district nurse teams

Abstract

This paper describes the development and content of palliative care residential workshops for general practitioner/district nurse pairs from the same practice. Pre- and post-testing self-rating scales were completed by the participants of five workshops. A retrospective questionnaire identified perceived effects on practice in terms of patient and family care, and the impact of having attended with a professional colleague. Demographic data are presented followed by respondents' perceived changes in practice following the workshop. These are supported by clinical examples. Respondents were able to identify specific effects of having attended with a colleague and offered supporting examples from their practice. The difficulties and limitations in the use of self-rating scales are discussed along with the possible effects of such methods on course content and development. Recommendations are made for further study.