Abstract 1462P
Background
Promoting and guaranteeing the quality of nursing care is an ethical and deontological imperative. Designing any program to promote and manage the quality of care while neglecting to define a panel of indicators that translate what is desired is not in line with the structuring principles of quality in health. If quality monitoring is already taking place in different world contexts, it is noticeable in the Portuguese reality that there is little evidence available.
Methods
Work guided by a perspective of qualitative research, using the scoping review approach, to identify the quality indicators of palliative care considered relevant in the available literature. In an intermediate phase, the content obtained in the previous methodological phase was validated by considering the opinions of a panel of experts (professors of Palliative Care Nursing and experienced Nurses with advanced training in the provision of care in the area of Palliative Care), as well as indicators that this group suggested were also added as being relevant. Finally, consensus was reached through voting using the nominal group strategy of a panel of quality indicators, with nurses belonging to a palliative care unit.
Results
From the global vote of the nominal group, of the 10 consensual indicators, two were classified in the domain of “structure”; six within the scope of the “process”; and two within the scope of the “results”. The consensual panel of indicators emphasized: the importance of training professionals, the existence of guides and protocols for clinical practice, the management and control of symptoms such as pain, the appreciation of the wishes expressed by the patient and the facilitation of end-of-life processes.
Conclusions
There was a great focus on the management of signs and symptoms, in particular the pain; the promotion of comfort; along with respect for the wishes expressed by clients. In this panel, the issues related to the facilitation of the grieving and loss processes also deserved to be highlighted. On the other hand, with regard to indicators inscribed in the dimension of “structure”, indicators focused on the training of professionals and the existence of guides to good practices were of particular interest.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
The author.
Funding
Has not received any funding.
Disclosure
The author has declared no conflicts of interest.