title: Evaluation of a training programme to teach a guided self-help psychological intervention to hospice staff.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A recent trial demonstrated that a brief guided self-help intervention reduces anxiety in palliative patients. This study investigated whether training palliative nurses to deliver a guided self-help intervention would improve their routine management of psychological distress.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized controlled cluster trial compared a team of nurses who attended training (n=5) with a team allocated to a no-training control condition (n=5) on self-reported behaviour and confidence in addressing psychological distress. Ratings of patient psychological distress at routine clinical assessments were also examined pre- and post-training to assess the impact of training on patient distress.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As predicted, patients cared for by the trained team demonstrated a significantly greater reduction in distress post-training than patients cared for by the untrained team. However, there was no significant difference in self-reported behaviour and confidence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that brief workshop-based training improves clinical outcomes on psychological distress and may be a means to increase the accessibility of effective psychological interventions in palliative care.
authors.affiliation: University of Exeter, Exeter, UK. jmg211@exeter.ac.uk
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Galfin
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Harlow
mesh_terms: D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006738:Hospices; D006801:Humans; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D012648:Self Care; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000451:nursing*; D000078329:Workforce