The International Journal of Older People Nursing (IJOPN) has recognised three exceptional papers published in 2024 as part of its 10th annual Awards for Outstanding Papers. Among this year’s recipients is Practicalities of promoting practice-based learning in end of life care for care home staff: Lessons from “online” supportive conversations and reflection sessions, which received the IJOPN Award for Outstanding Scholarly Contribution to Gerontological Nursing Practice.The paper was co-authored by Usher colleagues Jo Hockley, Macmillan Senior Research Fellow, and Susan Shenkin, Professor of Healthcare for Older People, alongside Julie Watson from the School of Health in Social Sciences and Lucy Johnston from Edinburgh Napier University. Their research examines how online supportive conversations and reflective practice can strengthen end-of-life care in care home settings—an area of growing importance highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article was prompted by a desire to support care home colleagues at a time which we knew to be very difficult for them, namely the COVID pandemic. The original idea of practice-based reflection was the result of Dr Jo Hockley's PhD; but the unique aspect that the pandemic gave us was that we could adapt what we knew worked practically face to face in order to support staff “on-line”. Having been involved in palliative care research for many years, and with a focus on older people in care homes for the last 15 plus years, the pandemic gave us a different opportunity to highlight the importance of palliative and end of life care in care homes. However, as the research shows, challenges remain. Even though it is now over 50 years since the inception of hospices, staff in care homes don't often pro-actively contact palliative care services. It is therefore important for palliative care services to reach out and not to forget this often silent community, and to support the significant expertise care home staff have in the care of people approaching the end of their lives. Susan Shenkin Lead paper author and Professor of Healthcare for Older People, Usher Institute Cite asHockley, J., Watson, J., Johnston, L., and Shenkin, S. D. (2024). Practicalities of promoting practice-based learning in end of life care for care home staff: Lessons from “online” supportive conversations and reflection sessions. International Journal of Older People Nursing, 19: e12598. https://doi.org/10.1111/opn.12598 Further informationPracticalities of promoting practice‐based learning in end of life care for care home staff: Lessons from “online” supportive conversations and reflection sessions | International Journal of Older People NursingCelebrating Our 10th Annual International Journal of Older People Nursing Awards | International Journal of Older People Nursing Publication date 24 Nov, 2025
