Palliative Care: Learning in Practice is an interactive textbook based on models of open learning, action learning, work-based learning, critical companionship and reflective practice. It has been designed to be used as a flexible learning resource in a variety of situations with local support from colleagues, professional and practice development staff, managers and educators. The chapters have been written in a straightforward, open learning style and include activities, examples, case studies, useful websites, recommended sources of information and references. The text is designed to enable the reader to gain, improve and update their knowledge and skills, and to take on more responsibility for their own learning and development.


This book covers the following topics:

• Essential concepts in palliative care

• Assessment

• Anxiety and depression

• Breathlessness

• Fatigue

• Pain

• Quality improvement


Palliative Care is suitable for qualified nurses in any setting that has palliative care patients. This will include registered nurses in hospitals, care homes, hospices and working in the community. The resource is also suitable for care assistants, members of multidisciplinary and multiprofessional teams and pre- and post-registration students taking modules on palliative care.

This textbook has been produced in association with the RCN Palliative Nursing Forum.