2.6.1 Paediatric Cardiac Liaison Nurses - An evaluation of their role (429)
Liz Perkins, Director of the Health and Community Care Research Unit, William Rathbone VI Professor of Community Nursing, Health and Community Care Research Unit, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom Co authors: Mona Killey e.perkins@liv.ac.uk
Abstract:
Background:
The role of Paediatric Cardiac Liaison nurse is a relatively new one, although services in some parts of the United Kingdom have been established since the late 1980s. The role was developed predominantly to meet the integrated care and information needs of children with congenital heart disease and their families. The Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Services Review Group set up by the Department of Health envisaged that the paediatric cardiac liaison nurse would support children and their families at all stages of a child’s cardiac illness from diagnosis, through treatment, transition to adult services and bereavement. In 2004 the British Heart Foundation (BHF) funded 11 new Paediatric Cardiac Liaison Nurse (PCLN) posts in seven UK NHS Trusts providing specialist paediatric cardiac services. In 2004 the University of Liverpool were commissioned by the British Heart Foundation to undertake an evaluation of the PCLN posts.
Aims:
To explore the range and nature of PCLN provision, and to examine the impact of the role on patients and their families.
Methods:
The study adopted a multistage design. Stage I involved a literature review and in-depth interviews with some of the first PCLNs in the UK to be employed. Stage II of the research comprised individual and group interviews with paediatric cardiac liaison nurses. In addition to the BHF funded PCLNs the study also involved PCLNs and their patients drawn from an additional five specialist children’s NHS Trusts. Interviews were also conducted with 74 families receiving PCLN care. Stage III involved interviews with the relevant Trust managers in which the BHF PCLNs have been employed and a focus group with all BHF funded nurses.
Findings:
The paper will explore the role of PCLNs across the UK and their impact on the care of children and families with congenital cardiac conditions.
Source of funding: UK - Research Charity/Foundation
Amount in £ Sterling: 100,001 - 500,000
Biography:
After undertaking a degree in Nursing I went to the Manchester University to do my PhD. For the last twenty odd years I have been doing health and social care research. I was employed as a Research Fellow at the Policy Studies Institute before coming to the University of Liverpool as the Director of the Health and Community Care Research Unit. I have undertaken large scale population surveys but have more recently focused on qualitatitve research methods. My main area of interest is in patient and professional communication and decision making.