The hospice has a long and successful history of educating and training others. The history tells a rich story of a wide variety of individuals and organisations that have learnt from St Christopher’s, as well as the depth and sustained nature of their learning.
At its best the hospice is described as a lighthouse – providing guidance to the world and an experience of safety. Many of the individuals who have learnt with St Christopher’s describe an enduring sense of direction in their work.
I think the fact that St Christopher’s exists is like a lighthouse for many of us who work in this field. It provides us with a sense of safety, a sense of guidance, the sense that we are all part of St Christopher’s, we all belong in a sense.
And the ethical and the moral guidance that St Christopher’s provided about how to well care for patients, I think remains quite fresh
Dr Eduardo Bruera Palliative Care Consultant, Canada
The opportunity to learn at St Christopher’s was not only about learning new skills; it was also about being exposed to a new philosophy of care, and of experiencing at first-hand the unexpected optimism and fun described by so many members of the community of St Christopher’s.
Regardless, and often in spite of limited knowledge of palliative care, there was investment in teaching anyone connected to the hospice about the emerging philosophy of care and its enactment – for example, the importance of mutual respect, the value of touch and the value of community connections as essential components.
Individuals with illustrious subsequent careers describe how early connection with the hospice shaped career choices as well as how they delivered care on a daily basis.
The generosity of individuals within St Christopher’s to share their knowledge and insights is noted by many learners as particularly helpful in this regard.
The sustained support they received from the hospice is noted by many. This would seem to be part of a deliberate strategy. Leaders within St Christopher’s describe their efforts to create long-term relationships with learners, particularly with those who aspired to set up other hospices or palliative care teams.
This chance to learn extends well beyond individuals delivering hospice and specialist palliative care.
Stories are told of an enduring role of St Christopher’s in supporting staff who worked in other settings for example care homes or domiciliary care.
Such effort on the part of the hospice is not only about the direct delivery of education and training. It can also be about advocating for more investment and pushing for greater acknowledgement of the vital role of carers and other services involved in end of life.
The benefit of learning with St Christopher’s is acknowledged in the stories of many who spent early days in their career visiting or working at St Christopher’s, then moved to other contexts.
For some people, St Christopher’s served as an introduction to leaders and other settings that became seminal in their growth as ‘movers and shakers’ in palliative care within the UK and beyond.
The oral histories suggest that the wards at the hospice were particularly happy, nurturing and informative settings through which many students and others learnt about the basics of high-quality care for dying people and their families.
Once they moved on, principles of such care were retained and built on over time. As a result, their long-term contribution to care of people who are dying is characterised by a confidence and flexibility.
Staff working at St Christopher’s talk of the investment made in their professional development as a basis for enabling them to design, test and deliver cutting-edge services which then become the subject of conferences and other learning materials made available to a wider audience.
The growth of rehabilitative palliative care is one such example. There is a strong sense in the history of gratitude on the part of many staff for the opportunity to have learnt from the pioneers in palliative care, deemed to have laid the foundations for palliative medicine.
Looking forward, some contributors are clear that St Christopher’s continues to have a vital role in supporting the global development of palliative care, particularly in countries where the speciality is under- developed.
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This is the tenth in our serialisation of “Back to the Future – Reflections on an Oral History of St Christopher’s Hospice”
Part I – Introduction
Part II – Being Prepared to be Radical
Part III – Responding to the Experience of Suffering
Part IV – Supporting Innovation
Part V – Hospice as a Way of Life
Part VI – Building and Nurturing Relationships
Part VII – Being True to the Founding Values
Part VIII – Creating a Committed and Talented Workforce
Part IX – Investing In a strong multi-disciplinary Team Approach
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