Categories
Blog

It Takes a Village…

When I think about palliative care, the image that comes to my mind is a group of people whose eyes are firmly fixed on caring for a person in need. In fact, my favorite definition of palliative care aptly describes this image. “Palliative Care is really about helping people to feel that they’re not alone” (author unknown). Although this statement might seem to solely focus on patients, I believe it is really speaking to all of us. Whether we are at the bedside with seriously ill patients, working with their families, teaching new healthcare professionals, or conducting research, we are at our best when we engage our village in our efforts. To this end, the CSU Shiley Haynes Institute for Palliative Care is committed to expanding our villages with the goal of improving the quality of life of our patients and families.

Palliative Care Communities

In August, we are launching our first Palliative Care Community on Teams. We often hear that healthcare professionals wish there was an easy way to communicate with other professionals who are working on the same issues. Consequently, we have created a virtual space in which professionals can engage in conversation, have virtual meetings, share materials, and build stronger communities. Our first community, Interprofessional Education, will open in August. Dr. Katie Robinson, Nursing Faculty at CSUSM, will serve as the first moderator for this community. This community will share information about interprofessional education, including best pedagogical practices for teaching future professionals about palliative care. Any healthcare professional with an interest in the topic and a desire to connect with others is eligible to join. To find out more about this community, please visit our website.

Over the coming months, we will be launching additional communities including Pediatric Palliative Care, Spirituality, and Palliative Care Social Workers. We will also launch a community for alumni of our APRN course. Please consult the website for more information including how to join.

Save the Date! National Symposium for Academic Palliative Care Education and Research

June 2-3, 2025; Workshops June 4, 2025

Our community-building focus will extend to our 2025 annual symposium. It will take place at the exceptional conference facilities on the beautiful campus of California State University, San Marcos. Our theme is, “It takes a village to weave connection and inclusivity into compassionate whole person care”. It will feature speakers from palliative care education, research, and practice and it will include professionals representing all palliative care disciplines. Graduate students in these disciplines are welcome! In addition to the two-day conference, we will provide a third day focused on in-depth education through workshops and opportunities for special interest groups to meet. The call for proposals will open on October 7th, 2024, and are due no later than 11:59pm on January 10th, 2025. So, mark your calendars for June 2025!