Impact of a contemplative end-of-life training program: being with dying.
Palliative & Supportive Care December 1, 2009 Cynda Hylton Rushton, Deborah E Sellers, Karen S Heller et al.
A professional training program in contemplative end-of-life care, based on mindfulness and receptive attention, helped clinicians cultivate presence, balanced compassion, recognition of grief, and self-care. In a survey of 95 participants and interviews with 40, the program's contemplative practices were reported as meaningful and valuable, providing skills and attitudes that changed how clinicians worked with dying and bereaved people. The quality of presence was seen as potentially transforming care for dying people and caregivers, offering alternatives to purely intellectual and task-oriented approaches.