A Curriculum for Compassion
Compassion is a core value of the NHS, and compassionate care enables faster recovery and better health outcomes for patients. However, being a health care professional also entails witnessing suffering and pain, and healthcare staff can experience emotional exhaustion, burnout, and compassion fatigue. In addition many work force pressures provide barriers to the delivery of compassionate care.
Where does healthcare education sit within all this? Can we design healthcare education that supports the needs of patients and healthcare providers, overcomes institutional barriers, and promotes a compassionate culture? What would that look like?
This talk reviews undergraduate medical curricula through a compassion lens, and aims to answer the question "What is a curriculum for compassion?"
Please note: This talk draws on personal accounts of becoming a patient in maternity care, including the subject of pregnancy loss.
Compassion is a core value of the NHS, and compassionate care enables faster recovery and better health outcomes for patients. However, being a health care professional also entails witnessing suffering and pain, and healthcare staff can experience emotional exhaustion, burnout, and compassion fatigue. In addition many work force pressures provide barriers to the delivery of compassionate care.
Where does healthcare education sit within all this? Can we design healthcare education that supports the needs of patients and healthcare providers, overcomes institutional barriers, and promotes a compassionate culture? What would that look like?
This talk reviews undergraduate medical curricula through a compassion lens, and aims to answer the question "What is a curriculum for compassion?"
Please note: This talk draws on personal accounts of becoming a patient in maternity care, including the subject of pregnancy loss.
Dr Theresa Martin is a clinical programme developer for a potential new medical school at the University of Portsmouth. She has worked in medical education for 8 years as a lecturer in early years medical education with a variety of roles, including teaching biomedical sciences and leading pastoral care. Prior to this she practiced as a specialist trainee in obstetrics and gynaecology. Her interests include sustainability, holistic approaches to wellbeing for healthcare professionals, and elearning.
She lives on the Isle of Wight with her husband and their 7 chickens.
She lives on the Isle of Wight with her husband and their 7 chickens.