International Hospice: Arts & Education

Insights to our international scholarly work on music therapy... International Hospice

Our Arts Service continues to grow in many directions in line with our vision for St Columba’s to become a centre of excellence and innovation for the arts therapies and community arts in palliative care.

While expanding our provisions for patients, families and the wider hospice community, our arts team has been building a research and education portfolio with international reach. The spreading of best practice and the generation of new knowledge has been at the heart of this portfolio which also includes our team’s contribution to international forums as well as the formation of new ones. Since 2019, our Arts Lead Dr Giorgos Tsiris has been part of an international group focusing on the development of clinical guidelines for the range of music experiences and music therapy in relationship completion in palliative care. Led by Dr Amy Clements-Cortes (Assistant Professor, Music and Health Sciences, University of Toronto, Canada), this group has been exploring a spectrum of musical care practices alongside their evidence with a focus on how such practices can support people’s relational experiences in palliative and bereavement care.

In July 2020, the group led a webinar on relationship completion to music therapists and other professionals working in end-of-life care. This webinar was part of the International Association for Music and Medicine (IAMM) and attracted

Patient and Family art

“Footprints in the Sand” by Rita

“Sailing home” by Paul Harrison

delegates from different countries across the world.

Currently, the group works towards the publication of a book and Giorgos has co-authored three chapters. Exploring issues around health promotion and community engagement as well as themes and orientations for contemporary education in music therapy, these chapters bring to the fore some of the innovative work happening at St Columba’s Hospice Care. The book, which is expected to be published later this year, will hopefully offer a useful resource introducing the concept of relationship completion to music therapy and other professionals working in end-of-life care.

As the only UK-based hospice represented in this international initiative, St Columba’s will promote this work further at our next Arts Symposium (20th October 2021) and as we work towards the 12th European Music Therapy Conference which will be hosted by our partner Queen Margaret University in June 2022.

When you think of St Columba’s Hospice Care, there are all sorts of things that might spring to mind; the warm welcome you receive each time you visit, time spent admiring the glorious views, world class palliative care, or maybe something as simple as your favourite scone in the Iona Café. Something that probably doesn’t spring forth, though, is the global reach of the work done by our Hospice...

From academia in Iceland to the adoption of pain management methodology in Uttar Pradesh, the influence of St Columba’s’ staff truly can be found around the globe. A project which began in Uganda in 2016 underlines this influence and the importance of knowledge sharing within the worldwide care community. St Columba’s Hospice Care, in association with the University of Edinburgh, UKaid, The Tropical Health Education Trust and others began The Uganda Palliative Care Nurse Leadership Programme, aimed at developing nurse leaders in Uganda. When the project began, palliative care was available to only 10% of the Ugandan population, largely due to the geographical spread of the population (Uganda is approximately the same size as England, with half the population density). Per 10,000 people, there was one physician, and 13 nurses available. The development of palliative care, then, depended on strong nurse leadership, both in the delivery of care and the training of future medical professionals. Nurse lecturers from St Columba’s Hospice Care undertook the training of nurses from areas throughout the country, providing both remote training sessions from the UK, and in-person training in Uganda. These mentoring sessions aided nurse leaders in developing the palliative care provision available, and ultimately improving the lives of thousands of patients throughout the country. In the second six months of the project, nurse leaders worked together on national projects, including a

review of palliative care training, and assessing the existing clinical competency of staff. By the end of the programme, there was a tangible growth in both clinical and organisational leadership, as well as a critically important gain in the cultural awareness of palliative care and its benefits. Despite the current difficulties posed by Covid-19, we are proud to continue to take part in international initiatives, enabling us to remain at the cutting edge of palliative care, and provide the very best service to our patients and wider hospice community.

Read about our work with Nurse Manju BK at Green Pastures Hospital in Pokhara, Nepal: stcolumbashospice. org.uk/caringconnections

See page 19–20 for an update on another exciting international project!