Interprofessional spiritual care education in pediatric hematology-oncology: A pilot study

Interprofessional education in cancer care - a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Comprehensive cancer care requires effective collaboration by interprofessional healthcare teams. The need to develop educational initiatives to improve interprofessional collaboration is increasingly recognised. However, there is no agreement regarding the interprofessional competencies required for effective cancer care leading to much variation on the focus of research, planning and managing change. A scoping review was conducted to identify the current status of IPE in cancer care and to summarise the results of previous research in order to guide the development of interprofessional education in cancer care.

METHODS

The JBI Scoping Review guidelines were used to guide the process of the review. A search of the available literature was conducted in CINAHL, MEDLINE (Ovid), PubMed, PsycInfo, Scopus databases from January 2012 to March 2023 to investigate IPE for health professional clinicians working in cancer care.

RESULTS

Of the 825 initial references and 153 studies imported for screening, a total of 28 studies were included in the final review. From those studies, seven focused on the need for IPE and interprofessional competence for oncology healthcare professionals, four reviewed existing IPE programs and 17 described the development and evaluation of interprofessional education. Findings show variation and lack of concept definitions underpinning research in IPE in cancer care settings. Variation also exists in the range of research activities in IPE, most notably related to communication, teamwork and the development of interprofessional practice. The evaluation of impact of IPE is mainly focused on health care professionals' self-evaluation and general feedback. Impact on patient care was only evaluated in one study.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the results, interprofessional education research in the field of cancer care is limited in Europe. Thus, there is a significant increase in publications in the last five years. A more systematic focus on the theoretical framework and definition of concepts would be of value. Research and programme development should be based on a shared understanding on what constitutes the interprofessional competences and IPE. Programmes to develop interprofessional practice should be developed and implemented systematically with inclusion of validated assessment methods, and evaluated and improved regularly.

The University Chaplain: An Often Unrecognised Resource in Suicide Prevention-Initial Qualitative Results from Exploratory Research into the Roles of University Chaplains at One Australian University

University chaplains are often unrecognised as resources in suicide prevention. This exploratory article highlights the valuable contributions university chaplains at one Australian university make to suicide prevention. Three overarching themes related to the contributions of university chaplains to suicide prevention were generated: (1) person-centred care; (2) the role of university chaplains in suicide prevention; and (3) professional development. Of particular note is that university chaplains actively contribute to all three phases of the suicide prevention framework: prevention, intervention, and postvention.

A descriptive study of the multidisciplinary healthcare experiences of inpatient resuscitation events

Background

In-hospital resuscitation events have complex and enduring effects on clinicians, with implications for job satisfaction, performance, and burnout. Ethically ambiguous cases are associated with increased moral distress. We aim to quantitatively describe the multidisciplinary resuscitation experience.

Methods

Multidisciplinary in-hospital healthcare professionals at an adult academic health center in the Midwestern United States completed surveys one and six weeks after a resuscitation event. Surveys included demographic data, task load (NASA-TLX), overall and moral distress, anxiety, depression, and spiritual peace. Spearman's rank correlation was computed to assess task load and distress.

Results

During the 5-month study period, the study included 12 resuscitation events across six inpatient units. Of 82 in-hospital healthcare professionals eligible for recruitment, 44 (53.7%) completed the one-week post-resuscitation event survey. Of those, 37 (84.1%) completed the six-week survey. Highest median task load burden at one week was seen for temporal demand, effort, and mental demand. Median moral distress scores were low, while "at peace" median scores tended to be high. There were no significant non-zero changes in task load or distress scores from weeks 1-6. Mental demand (r = 0.545, p < 0.001), physical demand (r = 0.464, p = 0.005), performance (r = -0.539, p < 0.001), and frustration (r = 0.545, p < 0.001) significantly correlated with overall distress. Performance (r = -0.371, p = 0.028) and frustration (r = 0.480, p = 0.004) also significantly correlated with moral distress.

Conclusions

In-hospital healthcare professionals' experiences of resuscitation events are varied and complex. Aspects of task load burden including mental and physical demand, performance, and frustration contribute to overall and moral distress, deserving greater attention in clinical contexts.

The experience of families in face of the finiteness of their children in the process of adopting palliative care

OBJECTIVE

To reveal the experience of family members after learning their child would adopt palliative care.

METHOD

Phenomenological research on Heidegger's perspective. The participants were eleven family members of children who were recommended palliative care in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit from a university hospital in southern Brazil. The statements were obtained in a semi-structured interview, from January to November/2017, and submitted to Heidegger's theoretical-philosophical analysis. Research approved by the institution's Ethical Committee.

RESULTS

The communication of palliative care triggers the perception of the child's existencial facticity in the Family, revealing reactions explained in the thematic dimensions: "Coping with the finiteness of the child when confronted with the proposal of adopting palliative care" and "The need for compassionate and attentive care".

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

Phenomenology allows us to understand the parent's existential purpose. An understanding perspective can help interdisciplinary teams to communicate the adoption of palliative care in a sensitive and ethical way, focusing on the best interest of the child.

Vivências de familiares diante da finitude da criança no processo de adoção de cuidados paliativos

RESUMO Objetivo: Desvelar a vivência de familiares após notícia da adoção de cuidados paliativos para a criança. Método: Pesquisa fenomenológica na perspectiva de Heidegger. Participaram onze familiares de crianças na Unidade de Terapia Intensiva Pediátrica de hospital universitário do sul do Brasil com indicação de cuidados paliativos. Os depoimentos foram obtidos em entrevista semi-estruturada, de janeiro a novembro/2017, submetidos à análise teórico-filosófica de Heidegger. Pesquisa aprovada pelo Comitê de Ética da instituição. Resultados: A comunicação de cuidados paliativos desencadeia no familiar a percepção da facticidade existencial da criança, descortinando reações explicitadas nas dimensões temáticas: Enfrentando a finitude da criança diante da proposta de cuidados paliativos e Necessidade de cuidado compassivo e solícito. Considerações finais: A fenomenologia permitiu compreender o familiar em seu propósito existencial. A perspectiva compreensiva pode auxiliar a equipe interdisciplinar na comunicação da decisão de cuidados paliativos, de modo sensível e ético, focalizando o melhor interesse da criança.