Developing a Reflective Practice Program to Support Oncology and Palliative Care Staff with Patient Death

Area of Science:

• Healthcare
• Psychology
• Medical Education

Background:

• Healthcare professionals in oncology and palliative care frequently face patient death.
• Limited structured opportunities exist for staff reflection on these experiences.
• Staff well-being is often impacted by unresolved grief and emotional distress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a reflective practice program for oncology and palliative care staff.
• To provide a framework for supporting staff emotional processing after patient death.
• To address the gap in literature regarding reflective practice implementation in hospital settings.

Main Methods:

• A participatory insider-action research approach was utilized.
• A multidisciplinary Action Research Group codesigned the program through collaborative meetings.
• Thematic analysis of discussion notes identified key program development factors.

Main Results:

• Key themes identified: importance of language, timing, location, facilitation, structure, and case selection.
• A practical, semistructured format for reflective practice sessions was developed.
• The program provides a framework for guided reflection and emotional processing.

Conclusions:

• An adaptable framework for structured reflection in acute hospital settings was created.
• This staff-led initiative supports healthcare professionals in managing grief and emotional burden.
• The project is a significant step towards integrating reflective practice into healthcare culture.