Summary Social workers and students in a large teaching hospital explored the characteristics of psychosocial interventions during acts of political violence. The associations between hospital length of stay, Acute Stress Reaction, and the characteristics of the implemented psychosocial interventions were also examined. One hundred and forty patients (61.4% males) treated during the so-called stabbing intifada/uprising in the years 2014–2015 in Israel in one large hospital were included. Data collection was based on clinical data mining. Findings The most frequent patient interventions were trauma-focused, while the most frequent family interventions were needs assessment and support-system building. Most of the interventions with the family (but not with the patient) were associated with longer hospital stays. Greater severity of Acute Stress Reaction was associated with greater use of trauma-focused interventions with the patient (but not with the family). Applications The findings suggest that social workers hold implicit trauma-focused intervention theories that should be written up in order to develop practice-based intervention models in the context of political violence.
Objective The present study aimed to explore attitudes of medical students following a course in integrative medicine (IM) focused on palliative and supportive cancer. Method Attitudes to IM among pre-clerkship medical students were assessed following a 3-day required course, which included interviews with international experts in IM and "hands-on" workshops mentored by IM and non-IM healthcare professionals. Student reflections were analyzed qualitatively, and written narratives were examined thematically. Results Of 161 students, 102 (63.4%) provided post-course reflections. The main narrative themes included pre-course attitudes, attitude changes and influencing factors, and insights on implementing IM in clinical practice. Pre-course attitudes were predominantly skeptical, with post-course attitudes more open and non-judgmental, addressing research on IM effectiveness and safety. Students looked favorably on the implementation of IM in clinical practice and felt the course enhanced communication with patients. Conclusions Student attitudes to IM shifted following the course, from a skeptical to a more non-judgmental and accepting approach. IM course may facilitate a better understanding of the limitations and risks of IM practices, particularly in the supportive cancer care setting, as well as implications regarding students' own resilience and professional growth.
ObjectiveInterprofessional care is integral to end-of-life (EOL) and palliative care (PC) and may be suited for EOL and PC education.We evaluate the impact of an interprofessional EOL care curriculum on participants, during the course, on completion and 4 years laterusing quantitative (questionnaires) and qualitative (open-ended questions and interviews) methods.The course included 14 fifth and sixth-year medical students, 9 social work students and 7 nursing students enrolled in master’s degree programmes. Seventeen participants completed questionnaires 4 years later and eight participated in interviews.On postcourse questionnaires, participants attributed high value to interprofessional education (IPE) (4.77/5±0.50 on a Likert scale). Four years later, participants reported that IPE impacted their professional (3.65/5±1.11) and personal lives (3.94/5±1.09) and found PC IPE important (4.88/5±0.33).Conventional content analysis showed that the course enabled discussion of death and dying and provided an opportunity for a personal-emotional journey. It offered an approach to EOL care and an opportunity to experience interprofessional teamwork at the EOL resulting in behavioural change.Interprofessional EOL education resulted in meaningful and lasting self-reported personal and professional behavioural outcomes.
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