Leaders in Palliative Care

This fall, MUSC College of Nursing faculty members Carrie Cormack, DNP, and Pat Coyne, MSN, taught End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) training in Salzburg, Austria. Supported by the Open Medical Institute, an international initiative for medical professionals that aims to improve health care on a global scale, the experience featured 33 nursing professionals from Eastern European countries (including Albania, Armenia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Romania and Ukraine) who attended the week-long training as fellows to further develop their skills and knowledge in palliative and end-of-life care.

“As faculty with ELNEC, I led the pediatric content,” said Cormack. “The fellows were all invested in improving the quality of life for their patients and families and learning how to provide palliative care despite the significant barriers that exist for them and their patients.”

In addition to didactic sessions, the fellows worked through interactive role playing and case studies to deepen their understanding. They also took part in interactive “self-care” sessions, one of which highlighted the benefits of art therapy. As a capstone, they divided into groups based on their country of origin and planned a project that could be implemented upon their return home.

“At the end of the week, the projects were presented to the group for questions and feedback,” shared Cormack. “The aim of the training is for each participant to return and share the information learned, in an effort to expand and improve health care globally. It is an honor and privilege to be part of this experience. Sharing with and learning from passionate nurses from around the world is life changing.”