2015_05_27_MED_cuidados_paliativos
Nursing and medical students call for "Palliative Care" to be included as a compulsory subject subject
This is the result of a research coordinated by the University of Navarra and carried out with more than 500 students.
"Palliative Care" should be a subject required subject of the programs of study of Nursing and Medicine. This is the opinion of more than 500 students from the School of Nursing of Soria and the University of Navarra who have participated in a study coordinated by the academic center of Navarra and conducted by Montserrat Ballesteros, from the University of Valladolid.
Her thesis ,"The Education of Palliative Care in Medicine and Nursing. A qualitative analysis of students' reflections," further emphasizes how the training on this area has "brought them closer to the essence of the profession."
"It is very interesting to see how university students from different careers and centers agree on the need for this subject to be offered on a mandatory basis," said the author. In addition, they pointed out that "Palliative Care" had meant"a change staff and professional" and "that it had contributed to achieve a more comprehensive view of the profession". Finally, they also stressed the importance of studying these programs of study in a theoretical way and internship.
According to Montserrat Ballesteros, there are deficiencies in the training of palliative care. "Not even half of the Schools and schools of Nursing and Medicine in Spain offer this subject as required subject. In fact, many have it as part of another and some as elective subject. In our country, this should be reviewed since the curricula of Degree include the acquisition of these competencies."
The study, which constitutes the first Spanish thesis on Education in Palliative Medicine at Degree, was directed by Carlos Centeno, from the School of Medicine and director of the Palliative Medicine Unit of the University of Navarra, and María Arantzamendi, director of the Official in Palliative Care Nursing of the University of Navarra. Clínica Universidad de Navarraand María Arantzamendi, director of Master's Degree Oficial en Enfermería en Cuidados Paliativos of the University of Navarra. The study is part of the ATLANTES program of the Institute for Culture and Society program of the University of Navarra.
Present at the reading were the president of the Central Commission of Deontology of the Organización Médica Colegial, Marcos Gómez; and the scientific coordinator of the National Strategy for Palliative Care of the Ministry of Health, Javier Rocafort; among other experts in this field.