PCC302 Palliative care and life limiting conditions

Task Summary

In this assessment task, you are required to produce a written document of 2000 words (+/- 10%) where you will undertake research and critically analyse the information of one end-of-life issue.

Please refer to the Task Instructions for details on how to complete this task.

Context

Patients (adults or children) may die under a number of different circumstances. Death may be sudden unexpected and tragic, or prolonged and protracted after the patient has lived with life limiting illness (Taylor, 2018). End-of-life care is provided by nurses and a team of other health professionals and informal carers (family or significant others), often when a person has only weeks, days or hours to live. A number of challenges may arise around end-of-life care and nurses need to understand these issues, along with what resources (including code of professional practice) and legal and ethical frameworks are in place to support their clinical practice.

Reference

Taylor H (2018) Legal issues in end-of-life care 1: the adult patient. Nursing Times [online]; 114: 11, 25-28. Retrieved from: https://www.nursingtimes.net/clinical-archive/end-of-life-and-palliative-care/legal-issues-in-end-of-life-care-1-the-adult-patient/7026333.article 

Instructions

1. Discuss one (1) of the following ethical/legal issues relating to end-of-life care:

Advance care planning: Explore the importance of advance care planning and the ethical and legal aspects of documenting and honouring patients' end-of-life wishes.

Palliative sedation: Examine the ethical implications and legal considerations associated with palliative sedation to relieve intractable suffering in terminally ill patients.

Organ Donation and End-of-Life Care: Explore issues such as the criteria for identifying potential organ donors among terminally ill patients, obtaining informed consent from patients or their families, and the ethical dilemmas that may arise when balancing the goals of preserving life through transplantation while providing comfort and dignity in the dying process.

2. Research and critically analyse the information available on the chosen topic.

The professional nursing standard documents (NMBA, 2018) and peer-reviewed literature, examining the legal and ethical factors surrounding your chosen end-of-life issue in an Australian context, can be used to support your discussion. Remember this is not an opinion or reflective piece. This is an academic piece where you are required to draw from peer reviewed literature to support your findings.

3. Write a 2000-word summary of the work.

Academic writing skills.

If you would like some assistance with academic writing and determining the difference between analysis and critical analysis, some information is provided below.

Referencing

It is essential that you use appropriate APA style for citing and referencing research. Please see more information on referencing here http://library.laureate.net.au/research_skills/referencing

Suggested Essay format

Introduction (200 - 300 words).

Provide background information regarding your chosen topic.

Define any terms.

Define your position on the challenge you have chosen and has it altered since the undertaking of research on this topic.

Body (1500 – 1600 words).

Using evidence based practice, policy or guidelines, discuss how you would manage a situation where your chosen issue had arisen?

What are the legal and ethical frameworks that would guide your decision making?

Conclusion (100 – 200 words).

Provide a conclusion of your critical analysis.

Referencing

Research the literature of the last seven (7) years

A minimum number of seven (7) academic references for this assessment is required. You must use the appropriate APA style for citing and referencing research. It is expected that two (2) of these references will be from the Blackboard module PCC302.

Submission Instructions

Submit your Essay as a Word document via the Assessment link, in the main navigation menu in PCC302 Palliative Care and Life Limiting Illnesses Blackboard portal. The Learning Facilitator will provide feedback via the Grade Centre in the LMS portal. Feedback can be viewed in My Grades.

Assessment Rubric

Assessment

Attributes

Knowledge and understanding of the ethical and legal frameworks relevant to nursing practice.

Percentage for this criterion = 30%

Analysis and

application

with synthesis of new knowledge

Percentage for this criterion = 30%

High Distinction

(Exceptional)

85-100%

Demonstrates exceptional knowledge of the legal and ethical frameworks that are available to support nursing practice during provision of end-of-life care.

Highly sophisticated and creative analysis, synthesis of new with existing knowledge.

Recommendations are clearly justified based on the analysis/synthesis of information surrounding the end - of-life issue. Applies knowledge to new situations/other

Distinction

(Advanced)

75-84%

Demonstrates advanced knowledge of the legal and ethical frameworks that are available to support nursing practice during provision of end-of-life care.

Thoroughly developed

and creative analysis,

synthesis, with

application of new

knowledge and

recommendations

linked to

analysis/synthesis

applied to the end-of-

life issue.

Credit

(Proficient)

65-74%

 

Demonstrates proficient knowledge of the legal and ethical frameworks that are available to support nursing practice during provision of end-of-life care.

 

Well-developed

analysis and synthesis

with application of

recommendations

linked to

analysis/synthesis

applied to the end-of -

life issue.

 

Pass

(Functional)

50-64%

 

Demonstrates functional knowledge of the legal and ethical frameworks that are available to support nursing practice during provision of end-of-life care.

Demonstrated partial analysis and synthesis of new knowledge with application.

Shows partial ability to interpret relevant information and literature and apply it to the chosen end-of - life issue.

Fail

(Yet to achieve

minimum standard)

0-49%

 

Demonstrates a partially developed understanding of the legal and ethical frameworks that are available to support nursing practice during provision of end-of-life care.

Limited synthesis, analysis and application of knowledge to chosen end-of-life issue.

Effective Communication (Written)

(add/adjust/delete elements of standard descriptors as required)

Percentage for this criterion = 20%

High Distinction

(Exceptional)

85-100%

Communicates eloquently. Expresses meaning coherently, concisely, and creatively within the given format.

Discerningly selects and precisely employs a wide range of specialized language and terminology.

Engages and sustains audience’s interest. Information arguments and evidence are insightful, persuasive, and expertly presented.

Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are free from errors.

Distinction

(Advanced)

75-84%

Communicates coherently and concisely in a manner that adheres to the given format.

Accurately employs a wide range of specialized language and terminology.

Engages audience interest. Information, arguments, and evidence are insightful, persuasive, and expertly presented.

Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are free from errors.

Credit

(Proficient)

65-74%

Communicates coherently and readable manner that adheres to the given format.

Accurately employs specialized language and terminology.

Meaning is easy to follow. Information, arguments, and evidence are structured and sequenced in a way that is clear and logical.

Occasional minor errors present in spelling, grammar and/or punctuation.

Pass

(Functional)

50-64%

Communicates in a readable manner that largely adheres to the given format.

Generally, employs specialized language and terminology with accuracy.

Meaning is sometimes difficult to follow. Information, arguments and evidence are structured and sequenced in a way that is not always clear and logical.

Some errors are evident in spelling, grammar and/ or punctuation.

(Yet to achieve minimum standard) 0-49%

Presents information.

Specialised language and terminology is rarely and/or inaccurately employed.

Meaning is obscured by errors in the communication of ideas, including errors in structure, sequence, spelling, grammar, punctuation and/or the acknowledgment of sources.

	Demonstrates use of	Demonstrates use of		Demonstrates use of
	high quality, credible	good quality,		credible resources to
Correct citation of key	and relevant	credible and relevant		support and develop
resources and evidence	resources to support	resources to support		ideas.
Percentage for this	and develop	and develop
	arguments and	arguments	and	Referencing
criterion = 20%
	position statements.	position statements.		resembles APA, with
	Show evidence of	Show evidence of		occasional errors.
	wide scope within	wide scope within
	and without the	the organization for
	organization for	sourcing evidence.
	sourcing evidence.
	APA referencing is	APA referencing is
		free from errors.
	free from errors.

Demonstrates use of credible resources to support and develop ideas, but these are not always explicit or well developed.

Referencing resembles APA, with frequent or repeated errors.

Demonstrates inconsistent use of good quality, credible and relevant resources to support and develop ideas.

Referencing is omitted or does not resemble APA.

 

SLO a)

 

SLO b)

 

SLO e)

 

SLO f)

The following Subject Learning Outcomes are addressed in this assessment

Identify and justify the application of key evidence-based practices and principles of palliative care across all healthcare settings.

Reflect on the nursing role of managing life limiting conditions in the context of palliative care and plan interventions when other treatment modalities are exhausted.

Critically discuss effective therapeutic and interprofessional communication whilst working with persons, families and carers in the palliative care context.

Identify and examine the legal and ethical issues associated with end of life care into planning person centred care.