District nursing and social work: palliative and continuing care delivery

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Nursing and Social Work

Background:

• The aging global population is increasing the demand for chronic and palliative care services.
• Effective collaboration between healthcare professionals is essential for meeting these complex care needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how district nurses and social workers operationalize palliative and continuing care.
• To identify differences in care delivery across key themes.

Main Methods:

• A multiple case study approach was employed.
• The study examined the practices of district nurses and social workers.

Main Results:

• District nurses and social workers demonstrated distinct approaches to care across five themes: assessment, care delivery, focus of care, place of care, and funding.
• Variations in operationalization highlight potential challenges and opportunities for interprofessional collaboration.

Conclusions:

• The findings underscore the need to address the balance between care organization and delivery within primary care structures.
• Integrating palliative and continuing care requires a coordinated approach, especially as primary care nursing evolves towards case management for long-term conditions.