Training Future Speech–Language Pathologists for Work in End-of-Life and Palliative Care

Abstract

Speech–language pathologists often lack preparation for palliative care practice and this lack of training can lead to poor outcomes for patients. Lack of training can additionally lead to burnout and compassion fatigue in clinicians. Careful implementation of training is necessary to increase the knowledge base for palliative practice and careful attention must also be paid to the emotional component of end-of-life care. The history and current practice of palliative care education across health care disciplines are examined. Finally, a pilot study evaluating a course module on palliative and end-of-life care for speech–language pathologist graduate students is presented. Results from the pilot indicate that students improved both their knowledge and comfort related to issues of end-of-life care topics. In addition, students responded positively to the opportunity to learn about the topic and the instructional strategies used within the course module.