A planning committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will organize and conduct a public workshop to explore issues related to supporting and sustaining the workforce to care for people with serious illness. This workforce is interdisciplinary in nature and includes palliative care providers, nurses, social workers, community health workers and chaplains. The workshop will feature invited presentations and discussions that may explore topics such as
- Impact of the pandemic on the workforce caring for people with serious illness
- Exacerbation of existing workforce shortages by the “great resignation”
- Effect of emotional stress, moral distress, post-traumatic stress disorder
- Importance of leadership, partnerships and care delivery models (such as palliative care)
- Roles for institutions, organizations, mentors and trainers in developing and supporting the workforce of the future
- Developing effective partnerships with primary care and community health workers for serious illness care
- Ways to improve the care system to support clinician well-being