On November 11 and 12, 2022, the Student Conference of the project "Design and implementation of master degree in palliative care programme" was held in the premises of the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health in Osijek.
The gathered students and teachers were welcomed by representatives of the partner institutions, Prof. Jasmina Mahmutović, Ph.D., Vice Dean for International Cooperation at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sarajevo, Kasandra Musović, mag. med. tech., assistant at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Maribor, and Assistant Professor Štefica Mikšić, Ph.D., vice dean for Cooperation with Teaching Institutions at the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, expressing their satisfaction with the cooperation of the project partners so far in achieving the set project objectives.
Prof. Aleksandar Včev, Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, solemnly opened the student conference and pointed out the growing need of the population in Slavonia and Baranja for palliative care services, which was recognized through the implementation of this project, saying: - From this meeting, we want to send information about how teams from three countries are working on a master study in palliative care, in the hope that our Archdiocese of Đakovo-Osijek, following the example of Archbishop Ivan Devčić and the hospice in Rijeka, will provide space for a palliative care center in its old home for retired priests, since a new home has been opened.
- The goal of the project is to develop a master study program aimed at creating standardized knowledge and skills of palliative care providers based on modern scientific knowledge in accordance with ethical and integrative principles. The implementation of the program will help increase the number of experts competent to care for palliative patients and raise awareness of the importance of palliative care among students and the public in order to improve the quality of care - Prof. Martina Smolić, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Science and Postgraduate Studies at the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek.
Assoc. prof. Robert Lovrić, Ph.D., prof. Jasmina Mahmutović Ph.D., and Kasandra Musović, mag. med. techn., presented the results of the conducted research, in which students of the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Maribor and Faculty of Health Studies University of Sarajevo participated. The content of the training on palliative care and end-of-life care was evaluated by the students as "quite good" and they consider it very useful. They assess the need for competencies in this area as "very necessary." Most rate their overall competence in palliative care and end-of-life care as quite good. Most students have met but not took care for a patient in palliative or end-of-life care during their studies or internship. Expectations, assessments, and self-assessments of students will be fully implemented in the planning and implementation of the joint study program in the field of palliative care.
Former and current students of the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Maribor and the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Sarajevo presented the results of their student research which they carried out within the framework of the final and graduate theses on the topic of palliative care and presented their experiences from their professional experience in palliative care.