427 - Bereaved Parent Educator Onboarding Curriculum: A Trauma-Informed Care Approach to Orienting Pediatric End of Life Care Skills Workshop Facilitators

Publication Number: 427.3680

Kayla Solstad, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, United States; Dannell Shu, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, Minneapolis, MN, United States; Kelly McManimon, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, Stillwater, MN, United States; Stacy S.. Remke, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, United States; Susan K. O Conner Von, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, United States; Anne Woll, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States; Joseph M. Miller, University of Minnesota - M Simulation, Minneapolis, MN, United States; Miriam C. Shapiro, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, United States; Johannah M. Scheurer, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States

Background: Local pediatric end-of-life care skills (PECS) simulation-based workshops incorporate the unique expertise of bereaved parent educators, who have experienced the death of a child. To expand PECS workshop frequency, needs assessment identified an increased number of bereaved parent educators to feasibly maintain this invaluable perspective at all workshops. Many examples of bereaved parent engagement for PECS education and advocacy exist, but we did not find a standard onboarding curriculum.

Objective: Our objective was to develop and implement a bereaved parent educator onboarding curriculum utilizing trauma-informed care (TIC) principles.

Design/Methods: Our established interprofessional PECS workshop advisory group (two bereaved parents, physicians, social workers, nurses, simulation educators) developed a five-part onboarding process for bereaved parent educators. We utilized trauma-informed care (TIC) framework, acknowledging the parents’ lived experiences. TIC principles (safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness, empowerment, skill development) guided the onboarding process described in Table 1. To evaluate participants’ ongoing engagement and the curriculum effectiveness, we conducted surveys (after steps 1 and 5; 9-month follow-up currently underway) and structured debriefings (after steps 4 and 5).

Results: The onboarding was implemented over 5 months in 2023. Step 1 included 14 parents; step 2 included 12; steps 3-5 included 6. Attrition was primarily related to time commitment. Associated costs were approximately $3,500. Emerging themes in early qualitative analysis of the workshop survey after step 5 and structured debriefings with new educators suggest participants were adequately prepared for step 5 and found engagement meaningful, inspiring, and emotionally difficult. In preliminary results (3 respondents) of the follow-up survey, bereaved parent educators reported agreement (100% yes) they experienced the onboarding process utilized all 6 TIC principles and adequate educator preparation (100% agree/strongly agree on 4 items).

Conclusion(s): The PECS bereaved parent educator onboarding curriculum was feasible for 6 new educators. Findings suggest the TIC framework was effective to prepare individuals as educators, immerse in simulated pediatric end-of-life scenarios, and uphold lived experiences as bereaved parents. Further analysis of participant follow-up survey data is pending. Iterative work includes sustainable funding and psychosocial support plus bereaved parent educator recruitment.

Table 1. Pediatric End of Life Care Skills (PECS) Workshop Bereaved Parent Educator Onboarding Process
*Completion of each step was required to continue to the next step of onboarding.
+Prospective/new bereaved parent educators were compensated for their time at this step.