A Network Approach to Neonatal Palliative Care Education: Impact on Knowledge, Efficacy, and Clinical Practice

Area of Science:

• Neonatal Medicine
• Palliative Care
• Medical Education

Background:

• Over 80,000 infants are admitted to UK neonatal units annually, with around 2,109 deaths.
• High-quality staff education is crucial for effective neonatal palliative care.
• Existing guidance emphasizes training for infant palliative care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a 1-day palliative care education workshop for multidisciplinary neonatal professionals.
• To assess the impact of the workshop on participants' knowledge, attitudes, and confidence.
• To explore the effectiveness of a network-wide training approach.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods, sequential explanatory design evaluation.
• Delivery of 1-day palliative care workshops by healthcare professionals and bereaved parents.
• Evaluation using questionnaires and follow-up interviews.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements in participants' knowledge, attitudes, self-beliefs, and confidence in neonatal palliative care.
• Enhanced awareness of available services and improved interprofessional links.
• Participants cascaded learning and implemented changes in clinical practice; parent stories were highly impactful.

Conclusions:

• Integrated palliative care education is essential for perinatal and neonatal staff.
• Further longitudinal research is needed to assess the impact on clinical practice and family experiences.
• Network-wide training incorporating bereaved parents is effective.