Lessons Learned: Identifying Items Felt To Be Critical to Leading a Pediatric Palliative Care Program in the Current...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Palliative Care
• Healthcare Management
• Leadership Studies

Background:

• Pediatric palliative care program (PPCP) growth has increased challenges in staffing, funding, and team well-being.
• Limited literature exists on guiding new PPCP directors through these complexities.
• Leadership skills are stretched by rising patient volumes and associated demands.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and elucidate key challenges and opportunities faced by new pediatric palliative care program directors.
• To provide practical guidance for developing and managing PPCPs.
• To inform educational needs for PPCP leadership.

Main Methods:

• A convenience sample of 15 PPCP directors (appointed within the last 10 years) participated.
• An open-ended question explored prior knowledge wishes.
• Responses were thematically analyzed, ranked by importance, and discussed online.

Main Results:

• Thirteen directors responded, leading programs with a median age of 5.1 years.
• Fifty-one distinct items were grouped into 17 themes.
• Top-ranked themes included "Learn how to manage, not just lead," "Negotiate everything before you sign anything," and "Balance patient volume with scope of practice."

Conclusions:

• Identified themes offer a guide for PPCP development and program director self-assessment.
• Findings can inform leadership needs assessments and educational program design.
• Practical management, negotiation, and scope-of-practice balancing are crucial for PPCP directors.