Sesson 12
Topic: “Conversations with Children and Adolescents about a Dying loved one”
Date: Wednesday 15 October, 2025 | Time: 4:30-5:30pm AEDT
Watch the recording now.
Talking with children and adolescents about the death of a loved one can be one of the most delicate parts of palliative care. This free webinar will offer practical strategies and compassionate approaches to help nurses feel more confident in supporting families through these conversations.
Join us as Anna Gilkison (Education & Vocation Consultant) and Katy Walshe (Clinical Nurse Consultant), both from the Victorian Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer Service, bring expertise in education, adolescent development, oncology, and palliative care.
In this session, we will aim to explore:
Principles for talking to children about death, and how this differs for adolescents
Common behaviours and responses in children and teens
What teachers wish nurses knew about young people’s understanding of death
Practical advice for families preparing children during a parent’s illness
Helpful (and unhelpful) phrases and metaphors
Deciding whether children should visit hospital or hospice
The role of rituals such as funerals, memory books, and classroom activities
A little bit about Anna Gilkison
Anna Gilkison (she/her) is the Education & Vocation Consultant with the Victorian Adolescent & Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Service, a statewide service based at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne. With over 20 years’ experience in education, Anna has worked in the healthcare since 2018, and is a fully registered secondary teacher alongside holding a Master of Counselling.
As a multidisciplinary team member, Anna works closely with patients, families, and treating teams to provide practical support, advice, and guidance to young people aged 15–25 who are navigating education and employment alongside cancer. She also liaises directly with schools, education providers, and employers to translate the medical and wider psychosocial impacts of cancer into reasonable adjustments and flexible study/work arrangements.
In the clinical setting, her interests include supporting AYA through the transition from paediatric to adult services, and strengthening communication pathways and professional capacity within healthcare and education systems to better respond to the unique needs of young people with cancer.
Katy (she/her) has worked in paediatric and adolescent oncology nursing for 21 years.
A passionate patient advocate, Katy is dedicated to the provision of holistic, compassionate care for patients and their families. She holds a Master of Nursing Practice (Nurse Practitioner) in oncology palliative and supportive care.
Katy's research interests include fertility preservation, sexual health and wellbeing in young people, pain management and palliative care.
A little bit about Katy Walshe