Apprenticeship Learning Log

 

Date of Learning: 28.05.2025

Time: 0930 – 16.30

Title of learning activity: Long-term conditions and end-of-life care.

 

Diary of Learning activity

 

Today’s lectures focused on individuals who live with long-term health issues (chronic), meaning they last for more than a year and have a significant impact on the individual’s life. They cannot be cured, but can be controlled with drugs and management plans.

 

They can be physical, neurological or cognitive (mental health).

We looked at the amount of NHS money spent on long-term conditions and how this affects budgets. It is essential to remember that these conditions could be idiopathic (no symptoms), some develop from lifestyle choices, i.e. smoking, obesity, etc. Roper, Logan and Tierney introduced a nursing model on the 12 essentials for daily living. This model is helpful in the planning of care for patients; however, bear in mind that not every one of the twelve categories needs to be utilised on all patients. Multimorbidity and comorbidity are the presence of one or more long-term conditions.

 

We looked at the stages of grief and how they can contribute to someone coping with a long-term illness – denial, bargaining, depression, acceptance and anger. We discussed how to suggest coping mechanisms and strategies we can provide to MECC.

 

The Liverpool Care Pathway ensures needs are addressed with end-of-life care. They suggest that nutrition, mental health, pain relief and comfort are requirements that need to be met.

 

K1: Understand the Code: Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses, midwives and nursing associates (NMC, 2018), and how to fulfill all registration requirements

K2: Understand the demands of professional practice and demonstrate how to recognise signs of vulnerability in themselves or their colleagues and the action required to minimise risks to health

K3: Understand the professional responsibility to adopt a healthy lifestyle to maintain the level of personal fitness and well-being required to meet people’s needs for mental and physical care

K4: Understand the principles of research and how research findings are used to inform evidence-based practice

K5: Understand the meaning of resilience and emotional intelligence, and their influence on an individual’s ability to provide care

K6: Understand and apply relevant legal, regulatory and governance requirements, policies, and ethical frameworks, including any mandatory reporting duties, to all areas of practice

K7: Understand the importance of courage and transparency and apply the Duty of Candour

K9: Understand the aims and principles of health promotion, protection and improvement and the prevention of ill health when engaging with people

K10: Understand the principles of epidemiology, demography, and genomics and how these may influence health and well-being outcomes

K11: Understand the factors that may lead to inequalities in health outcomes

K12: Understand the importance of early years and childhood experiences and the possible impact on life choices, mental, physical and behavioural health and well-being

K13: Understand the contribution of social influences, health literacy, individual circumstances, behaviours and lifestyle choices to mental, physical and behavioural health outcomes

K14: Understand the importance of health screening

K15: Understand human development from conception to death, to enable delivery of person-centred safe and effective care

K16: Understand body systems and homeostasis, human anatomy and physiology, biology, genomics, pharmacology, social and behavioural sciences as applied to delivery of care

K17: Understand commonly encountered mental, physical, behavioural and cognitive health conditions as applied to delivery of care

K18: Understand and apply the principles and processes for making reasonable adjustments

K19: Know how and when to escalate to the appropriate professional for expert help and advice

K20: Know how people’s needs for safety, dignity, privacy, comfort and sleep can be met

K21: Understand co-morbidities and the demands of meeting people’s holistic needs when prioritising care

K25: Know how to deliver sensitive and compassionate end of life care to support people to plan for their end of life

K26: Understand where and how to seek guidance and support from others to ensure that the best interests of those receiving care are upheld

K37: Understand the challenges of providing safe nursing care for people with complex co-morbidities and complex care needs

K38: Understand the complexities of providing mental, cognitive, behavioural and physical care needs across a wide range of integrated care settings

K39: Understand the principles and processes involved in supporting people and families with a range of care needs to maintain optimal independence and avoid unnecessary interventions and disruptions to their lives

K41: Know the roles, responsibilities and scope of practice of different members of the nursing and interdisciplinary team, and own role within it

K42: Understand and apply the principles of human factors and environmental factors when working in teams

K43: Understand the influence of policy and political drivers that impact health and care provision Skills

S1: Act in accordance with the Code: Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses, midwives and nursing associates (NMC, 2018), and fulfil all registration requirements

S2: Keep complete, clear, accurate and timely records

S3: Recognise and report any factors that may adversely impact safe and effective care provision

S4: Take responsibility for continuous self-reflection, seeking and responding to support and feedback to develop professional knowledge and skills

S5: Safely demonstrate evidence-based practice in all skills and procedures required for entry to the register: Standards of proficiency for nursing associates Annex A & B (NMC 2018)

S6: Act as an ambassador for their profession and promote public confidence in health and care services

S7: Communicate effectively using a range of skills and strategies with colleagues and people at all stages of life and with a range of mental, physical, cognitive and behavioural health challenges

S8: Recognise signs of vulnerability in self or colleagues and the action required to minimise risks to health

S9: Develop, manage and maintain appropriate relationships with people, their families, carers and colleagues

S10: Provide, promote, and where appropriate advocate for, non-discriminatory, person-centred and sensitive care at all times, reflecting on people’s values and beliefs, diverse backgrounds, cultural characteristics, language requirements, needs and preferences, taking account of any need for adjustments

S11: Report any situations, behaviours or errors that could result in poor care outcomes

S12: Challenge or report discriminatory behaviour

S13: Apply the aims and principles of health promotion, protection and improvement and the prevention of ill health when engaging with people

S14: Promote preventive health behaviours and provide information to support people to make informed choices to improve their mental, physical, behavioural health and wellbeing

S15: Identify people who are eligible for health screening

S16: Promote health and prevent ill health by understanding the evidence base for immunisation, vaccination and herd immunity

S17: Protect health through understanding and applying the principles of infection prevention and control, including communicable disease surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship and resistance

S18: Apply knowledge, communication and relationship management skills required to provide people, families and carers with accurate information that meets their needs before, during and after a range of interventions

S19: Recognise when capacity has changed recognise and how a person’s capacity affects their ability to make decisions about their own care and to give or withhold consent