Opinion Article - Journal of Primary Care and General Practice (2020) Volume 3, Issue 2

Leadership in palliative care.

Archdiocese of Bucharest - St. Nectary Palliative Care Center, Bucharest, Romania

*Corresponding Author:

Căruntu Adriana
Archdiocese of Bucharest - St. Nectary Palliative Care Center
Bucharest, Romania
Tel: 4324364355
E-mail: ingrijiripaliative@yahoo.com

Accepted date: July 02, 2020

Citation: Adriana C. Leadership in palliative care. J Prim Care Gen Pract 2020:3(2):17-18.

Abstract

Text: In Romania, the specialists in palliative care who are trained at the academic level in leadership are those who have completed the courses of the European Academy of Palliative Care, based on a scholarship but who are in a limited number. The skills, knowledge, and personal development that the students of this academy acquire are a starting point for implementing projects that are pioneering / successful in palliative care. If this training makes the difference where palliation is a well-established and seniority field, for those who are at the beginning of their journey in palliative care and designing projects following leadership courses, they can say that their ideas materialized in projects can change the lives of patients who have need for palliative care. Objective: To develop a leadership curriculum in palliative care. Methods: The research methods used were qualitative and quantitative. I analyzed based on the existing models, the structure that the curriculum must have. A research study was conducted nationally in Romania and internationally to identify institutions that offer leadership courses in palliative care at the academic level. Result: Based on the data identified and the experience gained in the European Academy of Palliative Care, I have prepared the leadership curriculum in palliative care that contains the steps of drawing up a leadership project in palliative care, internal and external communication techniques, project risk assessment, personal development, advocacy and the importance of sharing experience. A section is dedicated to leadership in situations of economic crisis, epidemic and pandemic.

Keywords

Palliative care, Communication techniques, Leadership courses, risk assessment, Economic crisis.

Introduction

I believe that there is an urgent need to develop an international project for palliative care managers. An international network of palliative care managers would help a lot to provide textbooks, articles, curricula that are needed in each institution, examples of good practice could be taken by interested institutions, collaborations in national and international projects, volunteers from other countries with rich experience could train in countries in urgent need. Organizing summer schools, international conferences for palliative care managers, access to information on funding projects, social responsibility, organizing an annual international congress and representing managers in European / international institutions to support their need for palliative care.

The United Kingdom is a country with a lot of experience in this field, so I propose the creation in London in 2020 of an international network of palliative care managers with the help of sponsors / specialists who want to get involved as volunteers. From the analysis performed at national and international level, it results that the access to information for the managers who work in palliative care differs depending on the place where they carry out their activity. Some of them are found in areas, geographical regions, countries where there is a long experience in palliative care and can turn to specialists for books, courses, curricula and the data they need, but there are also managers who work. in countries, districts where palliative care is not developed, and ignorance of a language of international circulation or of institutions that can provide support are barriers to obtaining the necessary information and support.

For palliative care in each country we can develop services and do more, improve the quality of life of patients, learn from good practice models, find innovative solutions and projects that improve the quality of medical care. There are funding lines or international projects in which managers need partners interested in involving a certain type of project, so an international network of managers can help easily identify interested institutions to participate. But what is important for a successful project would be to invite and involve experienced institutions to participate and bring added value in the development and implementation of projects. By involving managers in an international palliative care network, it will be possible to identify existing needs, discuss together identifiable solutions, methods, strategies, techniques, but also innovative proposals that can be applied in palliative care.

If there are certain services that have not been developed in a certain area, territory or country, and the need is very high, plans can be considered for the establishment of those services. I believe that at national and international level, palliative care is constantly evolving, so I believe the mutual support of managers working in this field may represent an important change in the future that will benefit the institutions in which they operate. In this position, the specialists have faced various situations and problems since the establishment of the services, but also along the way, which can be of the nature of human resources, material, and financial resources.

Sharing one's own experience and identified solutions are important for members of the international network of palliative care managers. So far, national and international associations in palliative care have been established, but a network of managers working in palliative care would be the first internationally, in addition we want this network to be supported by all those for whom this activity is important for quality of life of family members. In this framework, it will be possible to study and analyze the standards in palliative care, the working protocols of the specialists, the existing legislation in each country in the field of palliative care.

As the society in which we live is in a continuous change to external and internal factors, I believe that managers must combine their knowledge and skills, adapt to current challenges and requirements, but can develop in the future projects and activities in the field of palliative care to meet the requirements of patients, relatives and employees. It is known that a person can achieve successful things in the professional activity, but within a team or united within an international network of palliative care managers they can have the chance to do more and better things, to get over it. existing barriers to personal development and contributing significantly to the health care of members of the community to which they belong. Given that palliative care services are not developed at the same level and often the need for patient care is greater than the existing supply at local or national level, the involvement of professionals in this network is an important step that brings benefits nationwide. and international. The international network for palliative care managers can be created on an electronic platform to register members who want to be part, the institution's presentation of needs, publication / free access to research studies, books, articles and curricula in palliative care.

We want to involve in this project the universities that support the network with specialists, but also the institutions involved in charity that can choose the palliative care organizations that need support. This international network for palliative care managers is a leadership project that comes as a permanent aid in the work for patients in need of care and as an example of humanity, faith and love for people and the noble field of palliative care. The international network of palliative care managers is a leadership project that aims to improve the current situation of palliative care in each country.

Conclusion

The results of this project can be evaluated annually at international conferences in palliative care and proposed new activities within the international network of managers. Improvements can be made permanently whenever it is found that it is needed, or a member comes up with ideas that contribute to improving the activity.

Conflict of Interest

None.

Funding

None.