In collaboration with key stakeholders and in consultation with hospice societies, BCCPC’s project to establish province-wide core competencies and education for hospice staff and volunteers has reached its first milestone.
The project is the product of two 2019 initiatives. The first was the Inter-professional Palliative Care Competency framework, identifying ideal competencies for health-care providers for British Columbians living with life-limiting conditions. The second was A Path Forward: Hospice Care in British Columbia report by the Provincial Hospice Working Group. In addition to creating the Hospice Care Alliance of BC (HCABC), the report’s 10-step action plan also identifies the need for uniform core competencies and education program for hospice staff and volunteers.
Benefits of the project
The core competencies will:
• guide the hospice organizations throughout the volunteer management cycle: recruitment, screening, training, and assessment.
• inform the development of a provincial approach to education that better prepares hospice volunteers to meet both the needs of hospice clients and the requirements of a changing health care system.
• inform the development of effective volunteer engagement strategy.
• guide the development of an assessment tool for hospice volunteers.
Focus group completed; now onto the survey
The first project milestone is the completion of focus group consultation. The project was introduced to hospice organizations in early April, and a small focus group was formed from those who expressed interest. Meeting weekly for five weeks, the group reviewed competencies by professional domain, and made valuable suggestions and improvements.
The next step in the project is to share the competencies document with hospice societies province-wide and include a survey for further feedback. Then, over the summer, the document will be further refined based on the survey results, and ultimately the project will be completed by the end of September.
