Impact of a Nurse-Led Palliative Care Screening Tool on Medical Oncology Units.

This article focuses on a quality improvement project evaluating the impact of a nurse-led palliative care (PC) screening tool on adult patients with solid tumor malignancies in medical oncology units. The project aimed to increase PC consultations, reduce length of stay (LOS) and readmission rates, and improve nurses’ knowledge and confidence regarding early PC integration. Results showed a statistically significant 36% increase in PC consultations and significant improvements in nurses’ knowledge and confidence, while decreases in LOS and readmission rates were clinically but not statistically significant. The findings support the feasibility and sustainability of using validated PC screening tools to enhance early identification of PC needs and nurse autonomy in oncology care teams.