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Experiences of healthcare professionals

Read stories and experiences of people who are committed to improving pediatric palliative care in the Netherlands in a special way. Interviews about the profession, special encounters and exciting developments. You can also read books with experiences of others.


Experiences of healthcare professionals
In conversation with trainer Angelie Faber

In conversation with trainer Angelie Faber

About activating awareness, cooperation with the Knowledge Center for Palliative Care for Children and being on the same page to be able to continue (child) palliative care everywhere.

It started in 2015 with an introductory lesson in palliative care for fourth-year HBO-V students of the minor 'care for children and youth with intensive care' at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. There is now good cooperation between the Erasmus MC Academy and the Knowledge Center for Palliative Care for Children.

“Students prefer to learn from subject experts and experience experts. The subject matter is absorbed much better and the repertoire of actions is expanded as a result,” says care trainer Angelie Faber. Angelie's wish is to get a much more mix between the intramural and extramural setting in the Pediatric Nursing course when it comes to pediatric palliative care.

“It is a kind of awareness that is activated”

Organization

Angelie is a theory trainer for Intensive Care at the Erasmus MC Academy and, together with colleagues, is responsible for the further education of nurses entering the pediatric specialisation. She is also responsible for the collaboration with Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. The Knowledge Center provides guest lectures on pediatric palliative care in various training courses for (paediatric) nurses. “This choice was made,” says Angelie, “to make students enthusiastic about the profession.”

Why is pediatric palliative care important in education?

“There are more and more chronically ill children because more and more is possible in healthcare. We can keep children alive longer, even if they have run out of treatment. Because we can do all of that, we also have more resources to make seriously ill children and the family as comfortable as possible. That is why more attention should be paid to what pediatric palliative care is and what your role is as a pediatric nurse in it,” Angelie explains.

Activating awareness

The program works a lot and preferably with subject experts and experience experts. People from the field and knowledge organizations from the field. “Changes and developments are happening so fast that the information quickly becomes outdated, especially if teachers no longer work in the healthcare sector themselves. The students also prefer to learn from people from the field,” says Angelie. “The impact on how students absorb the subject matter, when they hear it from people who have really experienced it, is huge. Then they take that much better into practice. This expands their repertoire of actions.

Students indicate that it helps them enormously when they end up in a certain situation. “What did I hear about it in class? What did I notice then? Or what did they say about it during the training?” Angelie mentions a number of examples; “For example, students are much more likely to start a conversation with the child and parents, they are thinking about a different approach and they are more likely to enlist the help of colleagues. It is a kind of awareness that is activated. “

How do you experience the cooperation with the Knowledge Center for Palliative Care for Children?

“There is great expertise and involvement in the Knowledge Centre. The term palliative care in children has become much more widely known and given more substance. As a result, the Knowledge Center is much more visible to me than it was a few years ago. I really like the collaboration and I think there are very short lines of communication. We consult closely about what is needed within the program and within our region. We also discuss what the question is from the field and what the Knowledge Center sees? We try to incorporate that as much as possible into the training, even if it is sometimes limited in time.” Angelie indicates that more time is desirable for child palliative care during the training. This in view of the themes that all have to be dealt with.

Future

Angelie thinks it would be nice if there was more exchange about child palliative care within the program between the intramural and extramural setting for students. Sharing experiences and being able to name the differences between students can mean a lot. “It would be so nice if everyone could continue the care everywhere in the same way and that there is one line. That it is clear for the care providers involved and for the child and family what they can expect everywhere.”

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