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What are social work students being taught about palliative care?
Gary L Stein1, Cathy Berkman2, Bonnie Pollak1
1Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University, New York, NY.
Palliative & Supportive Care
|February 5, 2019
Summary
Masters of Social Work programs are beginning to integrate palliative care training. Key topics include grief, loss, bereavement, and family support, highlighting the need for more specialized palliative care education.
Area of Science:
- Social Work Education
- Palliative Care
- Psychosocial Support
Background:
- Palliative social workers are increasing, but Masters of Social Work (MSW) curricula lag in preparing students for this practice.
- This study addresses the gap in formal training for psychosocial palliative care within social work education.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the content areas and extent of palliative care topics within MSW courses.
- To assess the integration of palliative care content in both dedicated courses and those with related material.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study surveyed 248 accredited MSW programs in the US and Canada.
- Online questionnaires and syllabus analysis (grounded theory) identified 29 palliative care topics.
Main Results:
- 105 programs responded; 42 submitted 70 syllabi. Grief, loss, bereavement, and psychosocial support were most common.
- Dedicated palliative care courses focused on family support, interprofessional practice, and advance care planning.
Conclusions:
- Despite challenges like faculty expertise and curriculum space, model curricula exist for dedicated palliative care courses.
- The growing field of palliative care necessitates increased integration of specialized content into MSW programs.
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