Communication skills training in a hospice volunteer training program.

Area of Science:

• Communication Studies
• Hospice and Palliative Care

Background:

• Hospice services are expanding, increasing the importance of patient care volunteers.
• Effective volunteer-patient-family interaction is crucial for quality end-of-life care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the communication skills training provided to volunteers in a specific hospice program.
• To identify gaps in training related to essential communication competencies for hospice volunteers.

Main Methods:

• The study reviewed the curriculum and training materials of a selected hospice program.
• Analysis focused on the extent to which communication skills, particularly active empathetic listening, were addressed.

Main Results:

• The hospice program touched upon listening, empathy, and nonverbal communication.
• Broader communication skills were not comprehensively addressed.
• Specific, dedicated communication skills training was not provided to volunteers.

Conclusions:

• The lack of specific communication training may limit volunteer effectiveness.
• Methods to enhance active empathetic listening skills in hospice volunteers are proposed.
• Communication studies can contribute to improving hospice training programs.