6KNIS606 : (Palliative and End of Life Care Foundations) Critically evaluate the nursing assessment of one core issue/concern/symptom experienced by a palliative patient

Module / Subject / School:

6KNIS606 : Palliative and End of Life Care Foundations

King’s College London

Requirements: 

For this module you are assessed by a 2000 word essay titled: (please note this is increased from the word count stated in the module handbook) 

Critically evaluate the nursing assessment of one core issue/concern/symptom (choose from the list below) experienced by a palliative patient, with reference to the literature, and incorporating the wider implications for palliative care nursing in the setting in which you work. You can choose a patient from your work setting or one of the patients we used in the assessment workshop on the module. 

Core issues (chose one or choose your own not on this list): 

• Pain assessment 

• Breathlessness assessment  

• A communication issue (either between health care team and patient/family, or within the family) 

• Encountering an ethical issue in palliative care practice

• Locations of care – delivering palliative care in different settings

• Rehabilitation in palliative care

• End of life and dementia 

Guidelines – the assignment should include: 

• Introduction/background/overview to patient and family, and rationale for selection of this patient and the issue/concern/symptom. 

• Acknowledgement of the professional issues of consent and confidentiality with current reference 

• Brief demonstration of an understanding of the selected issue/symptom in the context of palliative care drawing on appropriate literature to inform your understanding. 

• Critical discussion of an assessment tool or an approach that can be undertaken with the patient and/or family, with a focus on the selected issue/symptom. 

• Please consider relevant academic literature, policy and guidelines in your answer. 

• Safe practice must be maintained throughout. 

• Conclusion

What we score:

78%

Our Writer’s Comment 

This assignment is designed to assess students’ understanding of business practices.

To secure an A+ grade, adhere to these guidelines and make sure your work aligns with the grading criteria:

Introduction/Background/Overview (10-15%)

This section is all about setting the scene. You’ll want to briefly introduce the patient, their family context, and why you’ve chosen this particular issue or symptom. Explain your rationale clearly—what makes this issue relevant in the palliative care setting? Make sure to acknowledge professional considerations, like confidentiality and consent, early on. Reference any policies or guidelines that are relevant to maintaining patient confidentiality.

To improve this section, try to link the patient’s situation more closely to broader themes in palliative care. For example, if you’re addressing pain assessment, mention how pain management is one of the most critical aspects of end-of-life care and tie that to why it’s significant for your patient.

Understanding the Issue/Symptom (15-20%)

Here, you need to show your understanding of the core issue you’ve selected, whether it’s pain, breathlessness, communication, or another symptom. The key is to ground your explanation in the literature. This isn’t just about describing the issue, but also about critically evaluating the nature of the symptom and how it impacts the patient’s quality of life.

You can take your analysis to a higher level by incorporating recent research and guidelines. For instance, if you choose pain assessment, cite the latest research on pain management in palliative care and explain how the literature informs your understanding of its assessment. Use multiple sources and explore different perspectives.

Critical Discussion of an Assessment Tool or Approach (30-40%)

This is the core of your essay. You need to critically evaluate an assessment tool or approach used to assess the issue or symptom. Let’s say you choose to focus on pain assessment—discuss the advantages and limitations of a specific tool like the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) or McGill Pain Questionnaire. How reliable is it? How well does it capture the patient’s subjective experience of pain? What are its limitations in a palliative setting?

To improve, make sure you:

1. Provide a detailed critique—highlight strengths, weaknesses, and any contextual limitations (e.g., if the tool doesn’t work as well with non-verbal patients or patients with cognitive decline).
2. Relate the tool to your specific work setting—how effective is it in the environment where you provide care? Does it need to be adapted for the particular needs of your patients?
3. Incorporate guidelines—refer to national or local palliative care guidelines that support the use of the tool or recommend alternative approaches. You’ll score higher if you can show how your selected tool aligns with best practice.

Wider Implications for Palliative Care Nursing (15-20%)

This section should explore the broader implications of the issue for palliative care. If you’re discussing pain assessment, think about how poor pain management could affect the overall experience of palliative care patients. What are the ethical or professional challenges that arise when patients’ pain is not adequately controlled? Consider the impact on family members and the healthcare team as well.

For higher marks, critically evaluate policy and ethical considerations. For example, you might explore the ethical implications of under-treating pain in palliative care, especially in cases where patients might be non-verbal or have cognitive impairments. Think about how the wider healthcare team can address this and what systems need to be in place for better pain management.

Safe Practice (10%)

Throughout your essay, safe practice must be maintained. Ensure you continuously reference how you, as a nurse, ensure patient safety while carrying out assessments or administering care. This includes discussing the ethical principles of autonomy, non-maleficence, and beneficence, particularly when discussing assessments like pain or breathlessness that directly impact patient comfort.

To strengthen this part, be specific about how you integrate safety into your practice. For instance, if you’re discussing the use of opioids for pain management, talk about the safety protocols around dosage and monitoring for side effects.

Conclusion (5-10%)

The conclusion should provide a brief but meaningful summary of your key points. Highlight the importance of the issue you’ve discussed, how the assessment tool or approach can improve patient care, and the broader implications for nursing practice. Keep it focused and don’t introduce any new ideas here.

To improve, reflect on your practice—how has this analysis influenced your approach to palliative care? End with a forward-looking statement about how these insights might influence future practice in your work setting.

Final Tips:

• Critical thinking is key: Don’t just describe tools or approaches—analyze them. Show that you understand both their strengths and limitations, and relate them to your practice.
• Integrate guidelines: Always refer to the latest national or local policies and guidelines, which demonstrate that you’re keeping up with best practices.
• Use relevant literature: Ensure your sources are recent and relevant, especially when discussing tools or practices in palliative care.
• Safe practice: Continuously emphasize how your approach maintains patient safety, and reference professional and ethical considerations.

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