New palliative care training shaped by aged care nurses
28 Sep 2026
The Quality Use of Community Palliative Care Medicines Project aims to improve how palliative medicines are prescribed, supplied and used in community settings. The Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing funds the project, which involves Palliative Care Australia, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Ageing Australia and caring@home.
As part of the project, Ageing Australia asked residential aged care nurses about their experiences providing end-of-life care. More than 150 nurses from across Australia took part in the survey.
Access to medicines remains a challenge
The responses showed that nurses have strong experience and a clear commitment to caring for people at the end of life. However, several practical issues can make timely access to medicines difficult.
Nurses reported problems including limited access to prescribers, difficulties outside normal business hours, delays in obtaining prescriptions and challenges getting medicines when they are needed.
The survey also pointed to areas where further education could help. These included recognising when someone may be approaching the end of life and understanding when and how palliative care medicines should be used.
Nurses prefer practical learning
Participants indicated that education needs to be easy to access and relevant to situations they may encounter at work.
Short online courses based around clinical cases were the preferred approach. This format was seen as a practical way to build knowledge that nurses can use in their daily work.
The feedback has now been used to guide the development of new online micro-credentials for residential aged care nurses.
The planned training will focus on common workplace situations and provide case-based learning that can be applied to clinical practice. The aim is to support more consistent, evidence-based use of palliative care medicines.
Training forms part of a wider project
The nursing micro-credential is one part of the national quality-use project. Work on the course is progressing, with Ageing Australia planning to invite residential aged care nurses to register their interest before the training is launched.
The wider project also includes education for community nurses, along with resources for pharmacists and prescribers.
Together, the resources are intended to strengthen communication and coordination between healthcare professionals and support better care for people receiving palliative care and their families.
New palliative care training shaped by aged care nurses
Source: Palliative Care Australia — Quality Use of Community Palliative Care Medicines Project.