Presentations from Managing difficult conversations: From breaking bad news to end of life care

• Whose responsibility is it to have these conversations? – Simon Walker, Specialist Pancreatic Cancer Nurse, Pancreatic Cancer UK
• Breaking bad news – Phil Whelan, Pancreatic Nurse Consultant, Liverpool University Hospital
• Palliative care and end of life – Sinead Benson, Clinical Nurse Specialist in Palliative Care, The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS

• 09.00 – 09.05: Introduction and overview – Simon Walker, Specialist Pancreatic Cancer Nurse, Pancreatic Cancer UK
• 09.05 – 09.10: Lived experience
• 09.10 – 09.20: Whose responsibility is it to have these conversations? – Simon Walker, Specialist Pancreatic Cancer Nurse, Pancreatic Cancer UK
• 09.20 – 9.50: Breaking bad news – Phil Whelan, Pancreatic Nurse Consultant, Liverpool University Hospital
• 09.50 – 09.55: Break
• 09.55 – 10.35: Palliative care and end of life – Sinead Benson, Clinical Nurse Specialist in Palliative Care, The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust
• 10.35 – 10.55: Q&A
• 10.55 – 11.00: Close

• Increase your understanding of the emotional and practical needs of pancreatic cancer patients and their loved ones when discussing bad news and end of life care
• Get guidance and practical tips for managing difficult conversations and breaking bad news
• Grow your confidence in having conversations about end of life and dying

These sessions are suitable for all health professionals who support and care for people with pancreatic cancer and are based in hospitals, hospices or in the community, as well as students.

You might be (though not limited to): a community nurse, A&E staff, acute oncology staff, ward nurse, CNS, dietitian, GP, practice nurse, oncologist or surgeon.   

Chair 

• Simon Walker, Specialist Pancreatic Cancer Nurse, Pancreatic Cancer UK 

Speakers 

• Phil Whelan, Pancreatic Nurse Consultant, Liverpool University Hospital  

• Sinead Benson, Clinical Nurse Specialist in Palliative Care, The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust 

Find out more about our speakers here.

Our events are mapped to the ACCEND framework. Find out more about ACCEND. 

This event supports the following ACCEND Capabilities in Practice: 

• 3. 2 Use advanced skills in listening and information-processing, alongside empathetic skills to assess, explore and respond to individuals’ complex needs and concerns
• 3. 3 Select appropriate language and media (including remote consultation such as telephone, skype, sign language, written etc) to facilitate effective communication and interactions with people affected by cancer
• 3. 4 Respond sensitively to individual preferences and needs, and uphold and safeguard individuals’ interests
• 4. 1 Actively listen to and communicate effectively with others, recognising that both are an active, two-way process
• 4. 5 Communicate effectively, respectfully and professionally with service users and carers at times of conflicting priorities and opinions
• 4. 6 Convey information and address issues in ways that avoid jargon and assumptions; respond appropriately to questions and concerns to promote understanding, including use of verbal, written and digital information
• 4. 8 Autonomously adapt verbal and non-verbal communication styles in ways that are empathetic and responsive to people’s communication and language needs, preferences and abilities (including levels of spoken English and health literacy)
• 4.10 Evaluate and remedy situations, circumstances or places which make it difficult to communicate effectively (e.g. noisy, distressing environments which may occur during home visits, care home visits or in emergency situations), and have strategies in place to overcome these barriers
• 4.11 Consult in a highly organised and structured way, with professional curiosity as required, whilst understanding the constraints of the time limited nature of consultations and ensure communication is safe and effective.
• 4.12 Adapt communication approaches to non-face to face situational environments e.g. phone, video, email or remote consultation
• 6. 1 Provide information and advice appropriate to the needs, priorities and concerns of individuals
• 7. 4 Access information from a range of resources, and use them to meet the individual needs of service users, translating clinically related topics into language which is understandable both for individuals to self-manage effectively and for the development of patient information
• 10.12 Deliver diagnosis and test/investigation results, (including bad news) sensitively and appropriately in line with local or national guidance, using a range of mediums including spoken word and diagrams for example to ensure the person has understanding about what has been communicated
• 24. 2 Engage in self-directed learning, critically reflecting on practice to maximise advanced clinical skills and knowledge, as well as own potential to lead and develop both care and services locally and regionally.

Below you can find out more information on the resources spoken about in the session:

• Find out more about My Wishes
• Visit Marie Curie’s website for more support on planning ahead
• Read more about the Gold Standard Framework
• Some more information on the AMBER care bundle
• Here’s the full ‘One chance to get it right’ document