HUMANISTIC PALLIATIVE CARE - INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES OF DEATH, DYING, BEREAVEMENT AND CARE

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1 HUMANISTIC PALLIATIVE CARE - INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES OF DEATH, DYING, BEREAVEMENT AND CARE Michael Hviid Jacobsen Professor of Sociology and Director of Studies Aalborg University, Denmark

2 STRUCTURE OF THE PRESENTATION Background for the Master s Program in Humanistic Palliative Care What Is Humanistic Palliative Care? The Purpose of the Master s Program The Structure of the Master s Program Practical Details of the Master s Program The Students Attending the Master s Program Experiences with the Master s Program

3 There is life in death and death in life, but perhaps more life in life, if death is a part of it - Villy Sørensen

4 BACKGROUND FOR THE MASTER S PROGRAM ( HUMPAL ) A task force appointed by The Danish Cancer Society (Kræftens Bekæmpelse) in 2006/2007 discussed how to develop the emerging field of palliative care in Denmark Aalborg University proposed a Master s Program in Humanistic Palliative Care, which was subsequently accepted and officially accredited by the Danish Ministry of Education in late 2008 The first group of 15 students started on February 1st 2010 By now, close to 25 students (divided over two year groups) have followed the Master s Program, the first group completed the program in 2012, whereas the second group is about to start writing their master s theses this autumn

5 WHAT IS HUMANISTIC PALLIATIVE CARE? An integrated and interdisciplinary approach to the academic study of and practice in relation to death, dying, bereavement and care By stressing the humanistic aspect, several important points are indicated: Scientifically: The Master s Program generally builds on knowledge generated within a broad humanistic-social scientific tradition (as opposed to a natural scientific/medical approach) Methodologically: The methods and methodological approaches taught on the program primarily (but not exclusively) come from qualitative and interpretative perspectives on research (such as interviews, observation studies, discourse analyses and so on) Morally: The purpose of the Master s Program is to develop knowledge that will benefit professional practice and thus ultimately have an impact on the quality of care for the terminally ill and dying

6 THE PURPOSE OF THE MASTER S PROGRAM To develop and expand the understanding of palliative care beyond conventional clinical and medical confines To develop a specialized, interdisciplinary and combined approach to the study of death, dying, bereavement and care as well as to professional practice within the field (combining thanatology the study of death with actual palliative care practice) To facilitate an understanding and collaboration between different groups of professionals working with death, dying, bereavement and care and to support their aspirations to do research into their own professional practice To create a scientific foundation for theoretical, methodological, empirical and practical developments within palliative care practice To create a shared specialized (but also inclusive) identity within the field

7 THE STRUCTURE OF THE MASTER S PROGRAM Module 1: Module 2: - Sociology - Gerontology - Palliative Care - Psychology - Philosophy/Theology/Ethics Module 3: - Death in the History of Ideas, Culture and Religion - Humanistic Research Methods - Open Formative Lectures /Films Module 4: - The Sociology of Death - The Psycology of Death - Open Formative Lectures /Films - Master s Thesis - Open Formative Lectures /Films

8 PRACTICAL DETAILS OF THE PROGRAM All students enrolled in the program come from practical backgrounds The program takes two years (four modules) as a part-time study program all teaching sessions take place in Aalborg at the university campus Each module amounts to 15 ECTS points (60 ECTS altogether) Each module (expect for the final module) consists of between 4-5 teaching sessions once every month covering two-three days each Students will be required to read approximately pages per module (excluding literature chosen for one s project) All modules (excluding the first module) are organized around the student s own project work (individual or collaborative) Modules can be attended individually (they can also be attended from afar) The cost of each module is Danish Crowns (approximately 3500)

9 EXPERIENCES WITH THE MASTER S PROGRAM Students have worked with a variety of highly interesting and useful problems related either to their own immediate practice or to more general areas such as: The need for pediatric palliation Developing palliative care for the demented or the socially vulnerable Taboos in hospice settings Content analysis of My Last Will (Min sidste vilje) Death-bed scenes in contemporary society Priests conceptions of salvation and belief in palliative care Many student projects have subsequently been reworked and either published in academic journals, books or used as presentations at conferences In module evaluations, students have stated that the Master s Program has challenged their understanding of their own practice, that it has reinvigorated their interest in their daily work, that it has taught them to think theoretically about practice as well as inspiring them to think about their professional lives and personal convictions in new ways

10 THE STUDENTS ATTENDING THE MASTER S PROGRAM Professional backgrounds: Students come from a variety of different professional backgrounds, most students however coming from nursing practice (hospice, home care, nursing homes or hospitals), a few hospital/hospice priests, a few doctors, a funeral director, a psychotherapist and a physiotherapist all of whom have a professional contact with the dying, the deceased or the relatives Requirements for admission: An academic bachelor s degree or a professions-based bachelor degree and a minimum of two years documented professional experience (applicants, however, may be accepted and enrolled based on an individual assessment) Deadline for application: December 1st 2013

11 THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION