Experiential learning to increase palliative care competence among the Indigenous workforce: an Australian experience

Objectives: Improving Indigenous people’s access to palliative care requires a health workforce with appropriate knowledge and skills to respond to end-of-life issues. The Indigenous component of the Program of Experience in Palliative Approach (PEPA) includes opportunities for Indigenous health practitioners to develop skills in the palliative approach by undertaking a supervised clinical placement of up to five days within specialist palliative care services. This paper presents the evaluative findings of the components of an experiential learning program, and considers the broader implications for delivery of successful palliative care education program for Indigenous people. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with PEPA staff and Indigenous PEPA participants. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and key themes identified. Results: Participants reported that placements increased their confidence about engaging in conversations about end-of-life care, and facilitated relationships and ongoing work collaboration with palliative care services. Management support was critical and placements undertaken in settings which had more experience caring for Indigenous people were preferred. Better engagement occurred where the program included Indigenous staffing and leadership and where pre and post-placement preparation and mentoring were provided. Opportunities for program improvement included building on existing post-placement and follow-up activities. Conclusions: A culturally respectful experiential learning education program has the potential to upskill Indigenous health practitioners in end-of-life care.