Outcomes & Research as at 31 December 2012
Over 2,600 health professionals have undertaken a PEPA placement since the program began in 2003. This includes over 200 placement participants who identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (9%).
Of total placement participants, 52% were Registered or Enrolled Nurses, 20% were General Practitioners, 8% were Specialist Palliative Care Staff, 9% were Allied Health Professionals, 8% percent were Aboriginal health workers and 3% were Assistants in Nursing or Aged Care staff. Fourteen percent of placement participants came from remote or very remote geographical areas of Australia.
A further 12,700+ health professionals, including over 850 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and community workers, have attended a PEPA workshop.
Ongoing evaluation of PEPA continues to show that the program is having a positive and sustainable impact on the confidence and skills of health professionals in the delivery of a palliative approach to care and the strengthening of networks and linkages between generalist and specialist palliative care providers. There is evidence that PEPA placement participants implement a range of strategies to disseminate new knowledge at the local level, and implement a range of practice improvement initiatives in the workplace following participation in the program.
The following publication and posters outline some of the various findings to date:
Publication
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Connell, S., Yates, P. and Barrett, L. Understanding the optimal learning environment in palliative care. Nurse Education Today (2010), DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2010.08.012. Available: www.nurseeducationtoday.com.
Posters
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Adili, F., Yates, P. and Myers, N. 'Workplace Activities: Transfer of PEPA learning into the workplace'. Palliative Care Nurses Association Annual conference, Melbourne, 10-11 December 2012. Download here. Awarded: Best Poster Award.
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Myers, N., Yates, P. and Oommen, V. 'The impact of PEPA clinical placements: views of host site managers and mentors'. 11th Australian Palliative Care Conference, Cairns, 31 Aug-2 Sept 2011. Download here.
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Oommen, V., Myers, N. and Yates, P. 'Workplace practice change as a result of the PEPA program: Results from a follow up survey'. 11th Australian Palliative Care Conference, Cairns, 31 Aug-2 Sept 2011. Download here.
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Paardekooper, C., Yates, P., Oommen, V., Carson, J. and Myers, N. ‘Indigenous Challenges and Bridging Awareness in the Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach (PEPA) in the Northern Territory of Australia’. 18th International Congress on Palliative Care, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 5-8 October, 2010. Download here. Awarded: First Prize in the Innovative Programmes Category of the poster competition.
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Myers, N., Oommen, V. and Yates, P. ‘How has PEPA changed practice? Views of Employers of PEPA participants’. Palliative Care Australia’s national conference: Together! Cultural connections for quality care at the end of life, Perth, 24 September 2009. Download here.
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Oommen, V., Myers, N. and Yates, P. ‘PEPA workshops for allied health professionals. Outcomes and directions for the future’. Palliative Care Australia’s national conference:Together! Cultural connections for quality care at the end of life, Perth, 24 September 2009. Download here.
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Taylor, J., Oommen, V. and Yates, P. ‘The impact of experiential learning in enhancing palliative care knowledge and skills among nurses’. The 4th international conference on community health nursing research: Health in Transition, Adelaide, 16 August 2009. Download here.
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Oommen, V., Yates, P., and Tran, N. ‘The role of a palliative care educational program in improving the skills of medical practitioners’. WONCA Asia Pacific Regional Conference combined with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners 51st Annual Scientific Convention, Melbourne, 2 October 2008. Download here.
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Wood, S., Yates, P., Barrett, L. and Connell, S. ‘A clinical attachment program for general practitioners’. Australia New Zealand Society for Palliative Medicine. Newcastle, 4 October, 2006. Download here.
Qualitative responses from post-placement surveys, longitudinal interviews and longitudinal surveys are included on the
PEPA Testimonials page.