End-of-Life Interdisciplinary Project Stephanie Myers Schim, PhD, RN Assistant Professor College of Nursing March 2005
End-of-Life Issues Growing interest in the U.S. with EOL Population aging People living longer Baby Boomers now growing older AND taking care of elder parents
Dr. Jack Kervorkian raised public awareness in Michigan and across the U.S. Public and legal debate over Physician Assisted Suicide
Research focus on gaps in EOL care SUPPORT study (1995) Institute of Medicine Report (1997)
In the beginning Informal conversation between 3-4 faculty interested in end-of-life issues Let s get together and talk Is anyone else interested in death & dying at WSU?
1 st meeting October 2000 5 or 6 faculty from different academic disciplines Sociology Anthropology Interdisciplinary Studies Nursing Law
Getting organized Agreed to meet once a month Informal structure Open agenda Inclusive membership Who should we invite to join the group? Who else might be interested in EOL?
Finding direction Initial discussion about lack of focus on WSU campus on issues of death & dying National provider education effort ELNEC & EPEC Recognition of need to have many disciplinary voices heard on EOL issues Early agreement to work on education issues first YEAR 1
Finding Common Ground Broad discussion of ways in which different disciplines approach issues of death and dying curriculum development Struggle with diverse perspectives and values - what is important to teach? Suggestion by Dr. Richard Raspa (Interdisciplinary Studies) to look at NARRATIVE as the common framework.
NARRATIVE THEORY Humans as story-telling beings Stories differ between and within disciplinary perspectives but everyone HAS stories they tell about end-of-life We know the world and ourselves through the stories we choose to tell and the way we choose to tell them
Disciplines as Cultures Common thread of cultural variations Between different academic disciplines Between academics and service providers Narrative and culture themes highlighted commonalities across diversity.
Economic Stories community family / group person Policy Stories Ethical Stories narrative Provider & Health System Stories culture Spiritual Stories Information Stories Legal Stories Life course Stories Physical Stories
Fall 2001 Pilot test of new course based on model Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Course / Upper level Undergrad Course Coordinator Dr. Raspa Guest faculty from WSU EOLIP group Positive student evaluations
Then Fall 2002 Dr. Donald Gelfand (Sociology) Fall 2003 Dr. Donald Gelfand (Sociology) Fall 2004 Dr. Sherylyn Briller (Anthropology) * Winter 2006 Dr. Stephanie Schim (Nursing)
NOW Enrollment @ 25 students per term Many disciplines represented Cross-listed in 5 departments: Library and Information Science Interdisciplinary Studies Sociology Anthropology Nursing
Ongoing work together Special focus for interdisciplinary group each year Year 2 : Spirituality at end-of-life Year 3 : Terminal trajectories and medical prognostication Year 4: Book Contract with Springer
Book Project End-of-Life Stories: Bridging Disciplinary Boundaries Editors: Donald Gelfand, Richard Raspa, Sherylyn Briller, & Stephanie Myers Schim Springer Publishing May 2005
Book Contents Introduction / Background on Narrative and Culture, domains of model, EOL concepts 14 end-of-life stories diverse people and situations Responses from multiple perspectives on each story highlight domains of interest at EOL
What next? Guest lecturer and consultant Spring 2005 on end-of-life law and ethics Co-sponsorship with WSU law school Planning for major conference Spring 2006 on Complimentary and Alternative Medicine
Products of Collaboration Journal Articles Multidisciplinary research projects Community outreach and education projects (e.g. Advance Directives in faith communities) New Medical School course in Humanities & Medicine
Where we are now ACADEMICS - WSU Faculty Students Library & Info 1 Medicine 6 Anthropology 1 2 Interdisciplinary Studies 2 Law 1 Sociology 1 2 Economics 1 English 1 Gerontology 1 Nursing 2 2 SUBTOTAL: 17 6
ORGANIZATION Karmanos Hospice of MI Bon Secours Hospital Detroit Medical Center Children's Hospital of Michigan PROVIDERS 5 4 1 1 2 Michigan State University (Nursing) 1 Veteran's Administration (Detroit & Ann Arbor) SUBTOTAL: 3 17
Now at 40 members Librarian Physicians / Medical Educators Nurses / Nurse Educators Economist Music Therapist Lawyer Chaplains / Pastors Social Workers Researchers Folklorist Medical Anthropologist
Moving Forward Transdisciplinary Partnership Interdisciplinary Connectedness Multidisciplinary Dialogue / Shared Stories Cross - Disciplinary Respect Disciplinary Isolation
Questions?