Introduction

Good symptom management is essential to improving the quality of life for patients and their families.  This session aims to inform your practice and refresh your knowledge about how to manage some of the common symptoms experienced by palliative patients.

This session has been developed for healthcare professionals in any setting to increase their competence and confidence when caring for palliative patients.

This session will:

  • Discuss how to assess and manage clinical symptoms experienced by patients with palliative disease including:
    • pain
    • breathlessness
    • agitation/delirium
    • nausea
  • Consider malignant and non-malignant disease
  • Review pharmacological and non-pharmacological symptom management
  • Explore Holistic assessment and the role of the MDT
  • Discuss when to refer to specialist services
  • Identify dying
  • Recognise the personal impact of working with patients who are dying