Masterclasses for palliative care nurses in Eastern Europe.

BACKGROUND

Nurses are in an ideal position to provide both primary and specialised palliative care, as well as collaborate with the interdisciplinary healthcare team to optimise quality of life and reduce pain and other distressing symptoms for people living with serious illness and their families.

METHODS

This article describes the planning, implementation and evaluation of three (2021, 2023, 2025) virtual 3 day, 4 hours/day International Palliative Nursing Masterclasses (IPNMs). A group of advanced practice and PhD nurses from Romania and the US collaborated to design a curriculum and programme, identify potential participants, speakers and technical needs and develop a method for programme evaluation.

FINDINGS: Nurses (n=145 of 172 professionals) from 19 countries participated in the three IPNMs. Survey responses indicated participants gained new knowledge and skills, and felt more confident in their palliative care practice. They appreciated opportunities for networking and sharing experiences, the virtual format and the use of case studies to apply concepts.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this ongoing successful programme highlight the benefits of these types of collaborations across cultures.