HAPCEN is proposed by the University of Southern Maine as a statewide educational network designed to develop a comprehensive approach and infrastructure for hospice and palliative care education in the state of Maine. Participants in HAPCEN will be students and faculty from the medical school at the University of New England; the five family practice residencies; and the seven baccalaureate and two master's programs in nursing in the state. A major goal of HAPCEN is to provide a comprehensive course in hospice and palliative care education to at least 60 students and at least 15 facilitators during the 24 months of the project. Additional goals include the development and distribution of a comprehensive curriculum and the establishment of the HAPCEN committee, charged with ensuring an ongoing commitment to hospice and palliative care education after the project ends. As a network, HAPCEN is comprised of seven elements that together provide an integrated approach to hospice and palliative care education. These elements include: 1) the HAPCEN Institute, a 37 hour didactic course that will provide students with a broad base of knowledge related to hospice and palliative care; this course will be offered over the interactive television system of the University of Maine system; 2) HAPCEN clinical experiences, designed to provide students with the opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the Institute and to develop their skills in caring for the terminally ill; clinical placements for each student will be at one of the 27 community-based hospices throughout the state; 3) Site-Specific HAPCEN Facilitators, selected from the faculty of the participating institutions/programs; the facilitators will be the link among HAPCEN project staff, students, educational programs, and clinical sites; 4) Facilitator Workshops, designed to provide a comprehensive orientation and training to facilitators prior to assuming their role; 5) a final HAPCEN conference, designed to provide closure for project participants but at the same time establish a springboard for future courses and programs in hospice and palliative care education in the state; 6) the HAPCEN curriculum, developed from the HAPCEN Institute and clinical experience; the curriculum will be distributed to facilitators and others interested in developing programs in hospice and palliative care education; and 7) the HAPCEN Committee, established to monitor the effective implementation of the entire HAPCEN program and assume responsibility for ensuring an ongoing commitment to hospice and palliative care education at the conclusion of the project.
| Brady, E M (1999) Stories at the hour of our death. Home Healthc Nurse 17:176-80 |
