Volume 24, Number 6: June 2023
These are nursing professors at the Faculty of Medical Technical Sciences in Tirana, which hosted the workshop. Photo used with permission.
90 Health Care Providers Attend Education Events in May
By Irena Laska
IAHPC Member & Executive Director, Mary Potter Hospice, Korça, Albania
Inspired by an Open Medical Institute conference held in Salzburg in 2022, Mary Potter Hospice in Albania organized two educational events in May. A three-day seminar for palliative care providers from all regions, held in Korça, was followed by a one-day workshop at the Faculty of Medical Technical Sciences, in Tirana, the capital.
The events directly help the promotion, extension, and development of hospice and palliative care services throughout the country.
53 attended the seminar
The in-person seminar was modeled on one in Salzburg given by the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC). It drew 53 attendees who actively participated in the lectures, both asking questions and relating their own experiences. In a post-seminar survey, all recommended that this type of event be offered more frequently, so that colleagues could benefit, too. They expressed their gratitude, and promised to integrate the information learned into their practice or their teaching.
Dozens attended a three-day seminar on palliative care in Albania that included topics such as palliative care for adults, pediatric palliative care, and symptom control.
Case studies and videos enriched the presentations. Photo used with permission.
Experts from the United States—Judith A. Paice, Carrie Cormack, and Patrick Coyne—traveled to give their lectures in Korça, the largest city in eastern Albania and home to the country's best model for health care generally. They were joined by two experts from Mary Potter Hospice.
The seminar's materials were provided by the Open Medical Institute and its ELNEC curricula.
37 took the workshop
The in-person workshop, developed in collaboration with the dean of the Faculty of Medical Technical Sciences, was titled "Palliative Care and Its Challenges in the Health Care System in Albania." Leading doctors, nurses, and lecturers from the faculty as well as university students at all levels were invited to attend. The workshop drew 37 participants. Considering the number of patients in need of palliative care in Albania, and challenges due to lack of knowledge of health care personnel, it is important to target nursing students as well as doctors.
The dean and lecturers expressed their great interest in continuing to work together on a palliative care curriculum, and to integrate the teachings of palliative care.
Supporters made the events possible
The events were initiated by the Mary Potter Hospice team, with financial support by the Little Company of Mary, a group of nuns in England that have been longtime supporters of both the hospice and palliative care in the southeast region of Albania.
The organizers and lecturers/experts deemed the event a great success. It was also a great success for palliative care in our country, because meeting other stakeholders promotes this necessary service for patients in need, wherever they live.
Thank you to the attendees for their dedication, their active participation, and for our shared purpose: the development and extension of palliative care throughout Albania.