Description
Title: Creating and Sustaining a Night Shift End-of-Life (EOL) Safety Huddle to Improve Communication and Collaboration Among Disciplines
Presented By: Michelle Schuster MSN, RN, CPHON
Katherine Woodard, MSN, RN, CPNP-PC, CPHON
Overview of the Course: Presented at the 2025 Spring Education Exchange (SEE) this course presents the Night Shift EOL Safety Huddle quality improvement (QI) intervention implemented to enhance communication, awareness, and collaboration among interprofessional team members caring for end-of-life oncology patients during night shifts. Utilizing a streamlined checklist and nighttime Zoom huddle, the intervention was guided by the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) framework and conducted over eight weeks on a 30-bed inpatient oncology unit. Feedback led to narrowing the patient inclusion criteria and having the night charge nurse lead the meetings. Post-pilot data revealed that over 90% of respondents found the huddle useful, with significant improvements in symptom management plans, critical event contingencies, communication, and team awareness. The intervention’s success underscores its value in providing high-quality EOL care and highlights the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in healthcare QI projects.
This Course will Explore:
- The design and purpose of the Night Shift EOL Safety Huddle quality improvement intervention
- How checklists and nighttime huddles strengthen communication and collaboration during end‑of‑life care
- The role of the PDSA framework in implementing and refining the intervention
- Pilot outcomes showing improvements in symptom management planning, contingency preparation, communication, and team awareness
- The importance of interdisciplinary teamwork in delivering high‑quality end‑of‑life oncology care
Upon successful completion of this course, nurses will earn .50 NCPD hours associated with this activity.
Association for Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nurses is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 14513.
Individual Learning Needs Assessment (ILNA) Coding
The program content has been reviewed by the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) and is acceptable for recertification points. You may claim .50 NCPD in one of the following ILNA categories: Care of the Pediatric Hem/Onc Patient, Pediatric Hem/Onc Nursing Practice, Professional Performance
Please reach out to the Education Team at education@aphon.org with your name, the email associated with your APHON account, and the above ILNA category you would like to have reflected on your certificate, and APHON can update your completion certificate to reflect your choice.
Any questions? Contact education@aphon.org
