Caring for patients at the end of life is emotionally demanding work but regular clinical supervision for nurses can help to buffer against stress, writes Andrea Gregory.

At the end of 2010, the Northern Adelaide Palliative Care Service implemented an innovative and integrated model of care to meet the mental health needs of patients. To do this, the Specialist Mental Health Initiative in Palliative Care, funded through the Department of Health and Ageing Local Palliative Grants Program, sought to develop both knowledge and skills within the interdisciplinary community team as well as facilitating direct mental health support to the patient and their families. During the early months of the project, a needs assessment was undertaken with the nursing staff to...