{
  "abstract": "Background Spiritual care is embedded in holistic palliative care (Speck. Postgrad Med J. 2016;92(1088):341-5) supported by multi-level policy drivers. However, ambiguity remains on how to assess spiritual needs in a palliative care setting.Aims To standardise the quality of spiritual needs assessment for inpatient hospice care by introducing ‘Just Ask’ (a new spiritual needs assessment tool) alongside face-to-face education sessions for all clinical staff.Methods An extensive literature review on ‘spiritual care assessment’ as part of holistic palliative care identified that staff value spiritual care as part of holistic palliative care, however, there is little direction on how to undertake assessment (Taylor. Int J Palliat Nurs. 2013;19(4):178-85).Yang et al. (Palliat Support Care. 2017;15(4):434-443) investigated confidence/competence and conscious/unconscious bias towards spiritual care assessment before and after training. They established that training improved quality of assessment. An internal staff survey established interest and engagement within the project, which uncovered widespread reduced confidence/engagement in spiritual care discussions.Results Training evaluations were completed at the end of each education session. We achieved an increase in clinical staff receiving spiritual care training – from 12% of staff previously to 100% of all clinical staff across the organisation having attended at least one session across an 18-month period. Evaluation of inpatient admissions identified staff engagement and the new assessment tool, ‘Just ask’, is being adopted into daily practice. However, a delay with technology hindered early data collection. Preliminary findings suggest education sessions and the implementation of a new spiritual care assessment model has ensured patients are more likely to get an unbiased spiritual care needs assessment.Conclusion Hospice staff value spiritual care highly as part of holistic palliative care. The implementation of education sessions and a standardised model of assessment have enhanced staff confidence and competence in engaging patients and families in spiritual care discussions.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Trinity Hospice and Palliative Care Services, Blackpool, UK"
      ],
      "name": "David Melvin"
    }
  ],
  "title": "P-30 Just ask: a new approach to spiritual care needs assessment",
  "uid": "7b666912-4e89-5d90-99e7-d5f457223035"
}