Palliative and End-of-Life Care Case Study: Person-Centred Approaches in Australia

NURS3017: Health Variations 5 – Palliative and End-of-Life Care

Assessment Task: Case Study – Person-Centred Palliative Care in Practice (2025)

Assessment Type: Case Analysis
Word Count: 1500 words
Weighting: 40%
Due Date: Week 8

Assessment Brief

Students will critically analyse a complex palliative care case scenario that demonstrates person-centred and family-focused care for a patient with a life-limiting illness. The assignment requires discussion of multidisciplinary team roles, family support strategies, and coordination of care in alignment with the National Palliative Care Standards (2023).

Case Scenario: Mr. David Chen

Mr. Chen, a 62-year-old male, has been diagnosed with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer with metastases to the brain and liver. He has been admitted to a regional hospital for symptom management after experiencing uncontrolled pain, fatigue, and dyspnoea. His wife, Mei, is his primary caregiver, supported intermittently by their adult daughter. Mr. Chen has expressed a wish to spend his remaining time at home, supported by community palliative care services.

Assignment Prompts

Prompt 1 (500 words):
Examine the role and collaborative functions of the multidisciplinary team in providing inpatient palliative care for Mr. Chen.

Prompt 2 (500 words):
Evaluate two evidence-based strategies that can support families and carers in managing the emotional, social, and physical challenges of community-based end-of-life care.

Prompt 3 (500 words):
Analyse how coordinated and integrated care can be achieved between hospital and community teams to ensure continuity of palliative care for Mr. Chen at home.

Each response must:

• Refer explicitly to the case scenario.

• Use current evidence-based Australian policies and frameworks.

• Apply person-centred and culturally safe care principles.

• Include in-text citations and a reference list in APA 7th edition.

Marking Criteria:

• Depth of analysis and synthesis of evidence (40%)

• Application of person-centred palliative care principles (30%)

• Academic writing and adherence to referencing style (20%)

• Structure, clarity, and cohesion (10%)

References 

1. Aoun, S. M., Deas, K., Toye, C., Grande, G., & Stajduhar, K. (2022). Supporting family caregivers to identify their own needs in end-of-life care: Qualitative findings from a stepped wedge cluster trial. Palliative Medicine, 36(1), 53–63. https://doi.org/10.1177/02692163211059764

2. Bloomer, M. J., Ranse, K., & Endacott, R. (2020). Navigating end-of-life care discussions with patients and families: A focus on Australian nurses’ experiences. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 29(21–22), 4233–4242. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15455

3. Palliative Care Australia. (2023). National Palliative Care Standards (5th ed.). Canberra, ACT: Palliative Care Australia. https://palliativecare.org.au/standards

4. Waller, A., Sanson-Fisher, R., Zdenkowski, N., Douglas, C., & Hall, A. (2019). The right place at the right time: Evaluation of an Australian model of nurse-led palliative care in general practice. BMC Palliative Care, 18(1), 46. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-019-0423-3

5. Keesing, S., & Rosenwax, L. (2021). The experiences of family caregivers supporting a dying relative in the home: A longitudinal study. Health & Social Care in the Community, 29(6), 1813–1821. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13265