U47973
This module is assessed by 100% Coursework
The aims of the assessment strategy are to:
? Promote reflection on the experience of caring for patients and their families
? Promote critical and analytical thinking
? Develop a sound knowledge base in palliative care and apply it to practice
The assignment has 3 components:
Part 1 ~ Formative synopsis of your summative essay (maximum 1,000 words).
To be submitted via Turnitin before 10pm on Wednesday 26th October 2016
This formative (draft) work is not assessed but you will be given feedback on the work to assist you in developing your ideas further for the summative (final) assignment.
1. An introductory paragraph detailing the focus of your reflective essay. This should include:
? What you hope to gain from this detailed exploration
? Which reflective framework you will use in your summative essay.
2. One short paragraph describing the incident.
3. A list of the 6 learning outcomes, with a brief comment on how you anticipate addressing each of them in your summative essay.
4. A paragraph critically discussing two relevant research studies. This will form part of the critical analysis of literature in your summative essay.
5. A reference list using the Harvard referencing style.
TIP: If you include book, journal and web-references, this will provide an opportunity to receive feedback on your use of Harvard.
Part 2 ~ Summative (assessed) work
2a Critical incident analysis (3,000 – 3,300 words)
To be submitted via Turnitin before 10am on Monday 12th December 2016
Reflect on a critical incident during the care you recently provided for a patient and their family nearing the end of life. This reflection must address all of the module learning outcomes.
A critical incident is one that causes us to pause and contemplate the events that occurred in order to try to give them some meaning. This could be a positive experience or a negative one. Reflecting on a critical incident enables us to explore our thoughts, feelings and actions; to develop self-awareness and learn valuable lessons from what did and did not work well. By examining relevant evidence-based literature, we are able to bridge the gap between theory and practice; thus providing opportunities for changing our way of thinking and practicing.
U47973 End of Life Care
Your summative reflective essay of the critical incident must contain:
Required content Examples
Reference to the reflective framework
that you are using
In the essay itself and the reference list
Critical exploration of your own role,
feelings, values, attitudes and
assumptions
o Why might you have acted as you did?
o What were the influencing factors?
o What impact might you have had on others?
o What impact might different actions have
had?
Critical analysis of relevant literature You will need to draw upon primary research, as
well as articles from palliative care journals
Discussion that is supported by relevant
policy documents
e.g. More Care Less Pathway, One Chance to Get it
Right, Gold Standards Framework, Ambitions for
Palliative and End of Life Care, NICE guidelines,
principles of palliative care (these are only examples)
Clear consideration of issues of diversity
and inclusion
Managing diversity involves acknowledging that
society is differentiated in a number of ways, and
giving equal respect to all categories and not affording
greater legitimacy to one majority group or normi).
A summary of what you have learnt and
how it will influence your practice
What are you going to do and how?
This should be informed by your previous discussion
Accurate referencing using the
Harvard system
The total word allowance used This does not include your reference list or any
headings. If work exceeds the word allowance, only
the first 3,300 words will be marked
NB Please refer to the marking criteria when preparing your assignment. The module leader will
explain any of the criteria that you are unfamiliar with.
2b Professional Practice Competencies (Learning outcomes 1-6)
To be submitted before 1pm on Friday 16th December 2016. If submitted by post, it should arrive
before this deadline. You will need to keep a photocopy and obtain ‘proof of posting’.
Professional practice competencies are used within the course to assess your ability to critically
reflect on and develop practice skills. This will enable you to analyse personal and professional
experiences of practice and integrate theory with practice effectively.
You must demonstrate achievement of all of the professional practice competencies through
discussion with and/or observation by your Practice Supervisor.
NB Don’t forget to ensure that your Practice Supervisor has entered their details and signed page 5.
U47973 End of Life Care
Learning Outcomes
All of the competencies must be demonstrated in the written essay and achieved in
clinical practice
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
1. Critically evaluate what is known about the process of dying, and be able to recognise when
a patient is nearing the end of their life
2. Initiate effective and sensitive communication with people facing end of life and when
experiencing acute bereavement, responding to differing emotional, social, spiritual and
cultural needs
3. Drawing on feedback from service-users and care-givers, reflect on the extent to which your
care is sensitive, holistic and person-centred, ensuring that individuals, families and friends
are well informed about the range of options and resources available to them to be involved
with care planning
4. Critically reflect on your own, and others’, attitudes and responses to death and dying, and
the impact of these on caring for patients and their families
5. Critically examine and demonstrate a range of approaches for assessing and managing a
range of symptoms at the end of life
6. Critically apply knowledge of professional, legal and ethical frameworks when providing care
for dying or deceased individuals, and their families
i Carr-Ruffino N (1996) Managing Diversity. San Francisco: Thomas Executive Press.
