Palliative care nurse consultants in Melbourne: a snapshot of their clinical role

Aim: The current role of the palliative care nurse consultant (PCNC) is as diverse as the organisations in which such nurses work. This study reports on Phase 2 of a larger study in Melbourne, Australia, which focused particularly on describing some of the clinical aspects of the work of the PCNC in the acute hospital setting. Design: A cross-sectional survey was used to describe the selected clinical activities of the PCNC. A data collection sheet was developed to gather information about their work. Sample and setting: 21 PCNCs participated in the study and data were collected for 282 patients within 12 acute hospitals in Melbourne. Methods: PCNCs recorded selected information about their clinical work for a two-week period. Descriptive analyses were carried out to calculate frequency distributions and mean scores. Findings: In 73% of referrals, the PCNC was the first contact the patient had with any palliative care health professional; patients with a malignant diagnosis constituted the main workload of the PCNC; the highest number of interventions was recorded for the symptom management/psychosocial care category; and the time from acute hospital admission to PCNC consult referral was 6.57 days. Conclusions: This study has demonstrated that the work of PCNCs is complex and diverse. This research forms the basis for further study into the role of the PCNC.