An Innovative Self-Care Module for Palliative Care Medical Learners

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Abstract
Palliative care is a uniquely demanding field in that clinicians routinely address the complex needs of patients living with incurable illness. Due to their relative inexperience, medical learners completing a palliative care educational experience are particularly vulnerable to the stresses that are often encountered. To address this educational need, a structured Self-Care Module was developed for medical learners rotating through a palliative care clinical rotation. Components of this module include completion of a process recording exercise, a structured reflection, and participation in a facilitated group discussion. An examination of the acceptability, utility, and operational feasibility of the module demonstrated that 86% ( n =35) of learners found the module helpful in reflecting on their clinical encounters, 86% ( n =35) gained an appreciation for the importance of self-reflection and self-awareness as a component of self-care and 97% ( n =35) gained a greater appreciation for sharing clinical experiences with other learners. This novel Self-Care Module was found to be a well accepted, useful, and operationally feasible educational experience for postgraduate and undergraduate learners completing a palliative care educational experience.

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