Paeds Cases · pain-palliative-and-end-of-life-care
Hold the goals-of-care conversation for grief, bereavement and sibling support — OSCE
OSCE communication station for grief, bereavement and sibling support: open the conversation, explore understanding, make a clear recommendation, address fear of abandonment, and agree a documented plan.
On this page
Study tools
Target exams
MRCPCH ClinicalRACP DCERCPSC Pediatrics
Prompt
A twelve-year-old girl has just died at home from progressive neurodisability. Her parents are numb; her eight-year-old brother has become withdrawn and is refusing school. The community team asks how to structure bereavement care.
Candidate brief
You have eight minutes to open a goals-of-care conversation with the family in this scenario. Explore their understanding, hopes and worries; explain the clinical recommendation in plain language; address fear of abandonment; and agree next steps including documentation and support. [1][2]
References4ShowHide
- [1]Yuste Segarra M et al. Grieving in the shadows: A systematic review of invisible losses in siblings of pediatric cancer patients. Death Stud, 2026.PMID 42054273
- [2]Hussain H et al. Exploring challenges and opportunities in paediatric bereavement care: a qualitative study from a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. BMC Palliat Care, 2026.PMID 41851707
- [3]Jolly A et al. Being broken: A qualitative study exploring unexpected death in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit and the family experience of care. Aust Crit Care, 2026.PMID 41512802
- [4]Bylund-Grenklo T et al. Acute and long-term grief reactions and experiences in parentally cancer-bereaved teenagers. BMC Palliat Care, 2021.PMID 34044835