Review Collection Paediatrics Specific populations Paediatrics PubMed Topic Search Paediatrics

Nurses will sometimes have to care for children who are dying. Many children will have chronic life-limiting illnesses such as neurodegenative illness, not all of which are cancer related.

In countries like Australia and the United Kingdom the rate of childhood deaths is much lower than adults.  This means that the need to access paediatric palliative care services is relatively small and, in some geographical locations, infrequent. This infrequent use of services makes a difficult path for the families who need care when even experienced health care providers are novices to paediatric palliative care.

• Neonates
• Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA) 

• WA Cancer and Palliative Care Network: Paediatric and Adolescent Palliative Care Model of care. September 2009
• Consumer Health Forum article by Jenny Hynson 'Palliative care for Children’ (2009)
• From Palliative Care Australia a resource called Journeys – palliative care for children and adolescents
• The Department of Health and Ageing has information on Paediatric palliative care
• WA Cancer and Palliative Care Network: Paediatric and Adolescent Palliative Care Model of Care 2009
• The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne has a Paediatric palliative care plan website
• The Royal Australasian College of Physicians has National Standards for the Care of Children and Adolescents in Health Services (2008)
• The European Association for Palliative Care has information on paediatrics including Palliative Care for Infants, Children and Young People: The Facts. A document for healthcare professionals and policy makers.
• Palliative Care Australia has conference presentations from the ‘Together 2009’ national conference, including paediatrics
• The International Children’s Palliative Care Network (ICPCN) has published a Guide to children’s hospice and palliative care partnerships to encourage links between people working in this field around the world. 
• The General Medical Council in the UK has produced a guidance for doctors that includes relevant information: Treatment and Care Towards the End of Life – Good practice in decision-making.

• Morgan D. Caring for dying children: assessing the needs of the pediatric palliative care nurse. Pediatr Nurs. 2009 Mar-Apr;35(2):86-90.
• Maguire A, Price J. Reflecting on practice in children's palliative care. Paediatr Nurs. 2007 Apr;19(3):34-7.
• Rushton CH. A framework for integrated pediatric palliative care: being with dying. J Pediatr Nurs. 2005 Oct;20(5):311-25.

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This page was created on 27 August 2010
Last updated 27 August 2010*