Partnership Will Improve Palliative Care Services
Nova Scotia patients and families will receive improved palliative-care services as a result of a partnership announced today, Dec. 6, by Cancer Care Nova Scotia and Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC).
Beginning in January 2006, Cancer Care Nova Scotia's Palliative Care Front-line Education Program will be included as part of the regular curriculum for the college's continuing care and practical nursing students. NSCC, in collaboration with provincial health districts, will also consider delivering the program to those already working in palliative care.
"Responding to the many and varied needs of patients is challenging for our health professionals," said Health Minister Angus MacIsaac. "In the emotionally charged area of palliative and supportive care, the need for knowledge and skill development cannot be overrated. I am delighted that Cancer Care Nova Scotia and Nova Scotia Community College have joined forces to provide students and health professionals working in the palliative-care field with the understanding, knowledge and skill set to address the physical, emotional, social and spiritual impacts of cancer and other life-threatening illnesses."
"A life-threatening illness like cancer, turns a patient's life upside down and inside out," said Dr. Andrew Padmos, commissioner at Cancer Care Nova Scotia. "It also impacts family, friends and co-workers. Health professionals who provide palliative- and supportive-care services are very often a lifeline for patients and families, helping them manage and cope with end-of-life issues."
Dr. Padmos said education is key to ensuring that health professionals have the knowledge and skills necessary to address patient and family needs. As a result of this new partnership, students will gain knowledge in such areas as pain and symptom management, spiritual care and cultural considerations, grief and bereavement, self-care and closure.
"Once again, NSCC is taking the lead in training skilled workers to respond to job openings and requirements here in the province," said Education Minister Jamie Muir. "Government continues to work with NSCC, as well as universities, health-care facilities and business to ensure there are well-trained continuing-care and practical nursing professionals to fill needs in the health-care sector."
"At NSCC, we do our best to ensure our students gain thorough, current, high-quality education so they are prepared to meet the evolving needs of employers in all sectors of our economy," said Heather Bishop, dean of health and human services at NSCC. "We believe that to meet the needs of employers, you also need to meet the needs of the community that those employers serve. This collaboration with Cancer Care Nova Scotia illustrates the importance of combining skill and compassion, to meet the needs of employers, families and the community. That is the kind of college we want to be."
The Palliative Care Front-Line Education program has been offered in health districts across the province since 2003. The program encourages collaboration and the development of community partnerships. A similar team approach will be implemented by Nova Scotia Community College. Program content will be delivered to both continuing care and practical nursing students.
Evaluation results from the 1,800 health professionals who have already completed the three-day program indicate that program content is appropriate, meaningful and applicable to the daily work of health-care providers. Through testing, participants demonstrated both an increase in, and retention of, knowledge.
Cancer Care Nova Scotia is a program of the Department of Health, created to reduce the burden of cancer on individuals, families and the health-care system through prevention, screening and research. It also aims to lessen the fear of cancer through education and information. Its programs are centred in the community, compassionate to patients, cost effective and based on sound research.
Cancer Care Nova Scotia developed the Palliative Care Front-Line Education Program in response to a needs assessment and a palliative care round table hosted by Cancer Care Nova Scotia. It was modeled after the Rural Palliative Home Care Project, a federal health transition project conducted in 1999 and 2000.
NSCC offers more than 100 programs in five academic schools that reflect the labour market needs and opportunities of the provincial economy. Through a network of 13 campuses, NSCC serves almost 9,000 full-time students a year and more than 15,000 learners through customized programs, part-time studies, apprenticeship, and continuing education offerings.