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Objective: To explore the impact of a 2-day, in-person interprofessional palliative care course for staff working in long-term care (LTC) homes. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study design was employed. LTC staff who had participated in Pallium Canada's Learning Essential Approaches to Palliative Care LTC Course in Ontario, Canada between 2017 and 2019 were approached. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, using an online videoconferencing platform in mid-2021 in Ontario, Canada. These were done online, recorded, and transcribed. Data were coded inductively. Results: Ten persons were interviewed: four registered practical nurses, three registered nurses, one nurse practitioner, and two physicians. Some held leadership roles. Participants described ongoing impact on themselves and their ability to provide end-of-life (EOL) care (micro-level), their services and institutions (meso-level), and their healthcare systems (macro-level). At a micro-level, participants described increased knowledge and confidence to support residents and families, and increased work fulfillment. At the meso-level, their teams gained increased collective knowledge and greater interprofessional collaboration to provide palliative care. At the macro level, some participants connected with other LTC homes and external stakeholders to improve palliative care across the sector. Training provided much-needed preparedness to respond to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including undertaking advance care planning and EOL conversations. The pandemic caused staff burnout and shortages, creating challenges to applying course learnings. Significance of results: The impact of palliative care training had ripple effects several years after completing the training, and equipped staff with key skills to provide care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Palliative care education of staff remains a critical element of an overall strategy to improve the integration of palliative care in LTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Interprofessional collaboration is needed in palliative care and many other areas in health care. Pallium Canada's two-day interprofessional Learning Essential Approaches to Palliative care Core courses aim to equip primary care providers from different professions with core palliative care skills.Objectives: Explore the learning experience of learners from different professions who participated in Learning Essential Approaches to Palliative care Core courses from April 2015 to March 2017.Methods: This mixed methods study was designed as a secondary analysis of existing data. Learners had completed a standardized course evaluation survey online immediately post-course. The survey explored the learning experience across several domains and consisted of seven closed ended (Likert Scales; 1 = "Total Disagree", 5 = "Totally Agree") and three open-ended questions. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test tests, and qualitative data underwent thematic analysis.Results: During the study period, 244 courses were delivered; 3045 of 4636 participants responded (response rate 66%); physicians (662), nurses (1973), pharmacists (74), social workers (80), and other professions (256). Overall, a large majority of learners (96%) selected "Totally Agree" or "Agree" for the statement "the course was relevant to my practice". A significant difference was noted across profession groups; X2 (4) = 138; p < 0.001. Post-hoc analysis found the differences to exist between physicians and pharmacists (X2 = -4.75; p < 0.001), and physicians and social workers (X2 = -6.63; p < 0.001). No significant differences were found between physicians and nurses (X2 = 1.31; p = 1.00), and pharmacists and social workers (X2 = -1.25; p = 1.00). Similar results were noted for five of the other statements.Conclusion: Learners from across profession groups reported this interprofessional course highly across several learning experience parameters, including relevancy for their respective professions. Ongoing curriculum design is needed to fully accommodate the specific learning needs of some of the professions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]