Intentionally Interprofessional Palliative Care: Synergy in Education and Practice

Strong professional identities are key to healthy interprofessional teams. When each professional knows their distinctive role within the team, misunderstandings and defensiveness diminish and curiosity and supportiveness about the others' unique contributions blossoms. This book explores the state of the art related to interprofessional palliative care practice and education and focuses on the unique synergy of interprofessional palliative care teams. It explores both the unique specialty contributions of each profession and the shared specialty palliative care activities that all professions on the team are expected to perform.

With chapters written and edited by chaplains, nurses, physicians, social workers, and other professionals, this book includes in-depth literature review, theoretical frameworks for research, education, and practice, practical guidance for implementing educational and clinical program development, and inspiring descriptions of an aspirational future for intentionally interprofessional palliative care. Spanning three comprehensive sections, the first provides an overview of the discipline of palliative care, terminology, roles of team members, and theories of interprofessional collaboration. The second explores interprofessional palliative care education, beginning with theory and evidence and then application in academic settings, clinical learning environments, and continuing education. The third examines interprofessional practice in a variety of settings including hospice, hospital, outpatient clinics, and home.

Readers from any profession or discipline who are interested in the essence of interprofessional education and practice will find value in the interprofessional approach to palliative care. Professors and teachers of pre-licensure health professions, graduate level courses, and continuing education courses will find Intentionally Interprofessional Palliative Care to be a valuable resource, both for profession-specific and interprofessional learner cohorts.